Lightning kills 10 in four districts

Ten people were killed and five others injured by lightning in Habiganj, Chapainawabganj, Pirojpur and Laxmipur districts yesterday, report our correspondents.

In Moulvibazar, four passengers of an engine-driven boat were killed and two others injured by lightning in Ajmeriganj upazila of Habiganj district yesterday.

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The deceased, Anujeeb Sutradhar, 45, Pritesh Sutradhar, 30, Pranen Sutradhar, 22, and Musa Mia, 50, were residents of Bhatipara village in the upazila.

Quoting witnesses, Toymur Bokht Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Ajmeriganj Police Station, said a thunderbolt hit an engine boat, carrying 12 people from Bhatipara village to Ajmeriganj upazila headquarters around 11:30am, leaving four people dead and two others injured.

In Chapainawabganj, three people were killed and three others injured by lightning at Singrail village in Nachole upazila yesterday noon.

The deceased are Masud Rana, 20, of the upazila, Tarikul Islam, 40, of Sadar upazila, and Abdur Rahim, 42, of Gomostapur upazila.

Injured Swapan, 45, Zillur Rahman, 20, and Abdur Razzak, 35, hail from different villages in the upazila. They are undergoing treatment at Nachole Upazila Health Complex.

They were struck by a thunderbolt while working in a field at the village around 12:50pm.

Masud and Tarikul died instantly, said Sadir Ahmed, chairman of local Fatehpur Union Parishad.

Meanwhile, lightning killed two youths in Pirojpur Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased are Rajib Singho, 40, a decorators' shop owner, and his employee Asim Hawlader, 35, of Ghanosha village.

The duo were struck by a thunderbolt while working outside the shop around 3:00pm.

Locals took them to Pirojpur Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared them dead.

In Laxmipur, a thunderbolt struck Qamrul Islam, 12, a Class III student of Matirhat Government Primary School and son of Amzad Hossain, at Charkalni village in Kamalnagar upazila when he went out of his house around 2:00pm.

He died on the spot.