Five farmers killed by lightning strikes during paddy harvest in Sunamganj

Officials say four others were injured in the incidents

Five farmers have been killed by lightning while harvesting paddy in the Haor areas of Sunamganj.

Four others were also injured in the incidents, which occurred around 12:30pm on Saturday in Pagnar Haor in Jamalganj Upazila, Togar Haor in Dharmapasha Upazila, Kaliagota Haor of Dirai and Tahirpur Upazila, according to the district's Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Matiur Rahman.

The dead were identified as Nuruzzaman from Jamalganj Union, Habibur Rahman from Paikurhati Union, Rahmat Ullah, 23, from Joyasree, Liton Mia from Dirai Upazila and Abul Kalam alias Kala Mia, 23, from Tahirpur.

Lightning strikes kill nearly 300 people in Bangladesh annually, with the highest number of fatalities reported in the northeastern districts of Sunamganj, Netrokona and Sylhet, where farmers are the worst affected.

Witnesses and authorities said the harvesting began on Apr 14 marking Pahela Baishakh.

Nuruzzaman and his cousin Tofazzal were seriously injured while working in Pagnar Haor.

When locals took them to the Jamalganj Upazila Health Complex, the doctor declared Nuruzzaman dead. Tofazzal was sent to Sylhet for advanced treatment.

In Tahirpur Upazila, a thunderbolt struck Kalam and Nur Mohammad as they were working in Jamlganj village.

Kalam died on the spot, but Nur Mohammad, also a resident of the Upazila, survived despite critical wounds. He was also sent to Sylhet for better treatment.

Prashanta Das Talukdar, the resident medical officer at Derai Upazila Health Complex, said Liton was critically injured by lightning while harvesting paddy in Kaliagota Haor.

Locals rescued him and brought him to the health complex, where he was pronounced dead.

ADC Matiur said they ordered the local administration to provide necessary assistance to the victims' families.

Md Omar Faruq, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said the paddy cultivated on about 5,550 hectares of Haor land has been harvested until Saturday.

Although the paddy is ready for harvesting, combine harvesters cannot be used due to waterlogging, he said.

Given the situation, efforts are under way to employ outsourced workers from outside the district to help local labourers.

Many do not want to work in Haor due to fear of lightning and thunderstorms, the DAE official maintained.