DHAKA: At least eight people, including a child and a woman, were killed and seven injured as lightening struck them at different parts of Sunamganj, Sherpur, Mymensingh, Chandpur and Gaibandha districts Saturday morning.

The victims include Abdul Qader (18) and Hari Bhakta Das (45), residents of Dirai upazila; Rasheda Begum, wife of Abdul Basit of Tahirpur upazila and Abdul Jalil (50) of Madyanagar upazila of Sunamganj district; Marium Begum (11), Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district; Sharfat Ali (55), Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh district; Billal Hossain Gazi (40), sadar upazila of Chandpur district and Narayan Robi Das (40), sadar upazila of Gaibandha district.

Locals said Abdul Qader went to harvest crops in Kaliguta hoar in Dirai upazila. A thunderbolt struck him, leaving him dead on the spot.

Hari Bhakta Das also went to harvest in a haor near his village in the same upazila and died on spot after being struck by a thunderbolt.

Lightning hit Rasheda when she was grazing cattle in a nearby haor area of Kunachar village in Tahirpur upazila.

Abdul Jalil died as thunderbolt hit him while cutting paddy at the field near his house in Madyanagar upazila of Sunamganj district.

Dirai Thana officer-in-charge (OC) Byes Alam and Tahirpur Thana OC Shahidullah separately confirmed the matter to bagnlanews.

Moreover, a child was killed by lightning in Nalitabari upazila in Sherpur district at 7:15am on the day.

The victim was been identified as Marium Begum (11), daughter of one Nur Hossain in Nalitabari Upazila.

Confirming the matter to banglanews, Poragaon Union Parishad (UP) chairman Azad Mia said that Marium was going to a religious school in the morning. She died by lightning on her way to the school.

Lightning killed one and hurt four in Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh district on Saturday noon.

The victim was identified as Sharfat Ali, resident of Rambhadrapur union of the upazila.

However, the injured, Shirin Akhtar, Ismat Ara, Abdul Maleque and Rubel, were admitted to Phulpur Upazila Health Complex.

Meanwhile, a farmer was killed and two injured in sadar upazila of Chandpur district at noon.

The victim was identified as Billal Hossain Gazi (40) and the injured as Monir Hossain and Ali Hossain.

The injured were admitted to Government General Hospital in the district.

The hospital’s physician Faridul Haque Tutul confirmed the matter to banglanews.

In Gaibandha, lightning killed Narayan Robi Das and injured his wife Phigni Robi Das in Kuthipara area of Gaibandha sadar upazila this morning.

Locals said that the couple were in their kitchen during rains and a sudden thunderbolt struck their tin-shed kitchen, leaving Narayan dead on the sport and his wife seriously injured.

Gaibandha municipality mayor Shamsul Alam confirmed the matter to banglanews.

BDST: 1254 HRS/ UPDATE: 1440 HRS/ UPDATE 1654 HRS/ UPDAT 1730 HRS, MAY 02, 2015
HB/RR

** Thunderbolts kill 5 in 2 dists