Three school students among four dead in Kishoreganj lightning strikes

Three of them were ninth graders at Chorteki Girls School and College

Four people, including three school students, have been killed in lightning strikes in Kishoreganj’s Pakundia and Mithamoin Upazilas.

The school students were killed in an incident in the Chorteki area of Pakundia on Tuesday afternoon and a farmer was killed in South Hati village in Mithamoin’s Ghagra Union, according to police and the local administration.

The students were identified as Irina Akhtar, 15, Priya Akhtar, 15, and Borsha, 15. All of them were from Chorteki village and were students in Class Nine at Chorteki Girls School and College.

The farmer was identified as Kadu Mia.

Md Billal Hossain, the Pekundia Upazila executive officer, said that the three were struck by lightning and critically injured on their way home from school. They were rushed to the Pekundia Upazila Health Complex and Irina and Priya were declared dead there.

Borsha was transferred to Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital in critical condition. There, the doctor on duty declared her dead.

Billal said that inquiries are being made to the families of the dead and the administration will provide financial support for their burials and funeral arrangements.

Sub Inspector Aminul Islam of Mithamoin Upazila said that farmer Kadu had gone into an open field to dry rice. When it suddenly started raining, he attempted to collect the drying rice. He was then struck by lightning and critically injured.

Locals rushed him to the Mithamoin Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor on duty declared him dead.