Lightning Strikes Kill 12 Across Bangladesh

At least 12 people have been killed in separate lightning strike incidents across Bangladesh, as thunderstorms swept through several districts on Sunday from afternoon to evening.

The deaths were reported from different parts of the country, including five in Gaibandha, two each in Sirajganj and Jamalpur, and one each in Singra, Gabtoli and Atwari. Several others were reported injured.

In Gaibandha, five people, including two children, were killed in separate incidents in Sadullapur, Sundarganj and Fulchhari upazilas.

According to local officials, the two children were struck by lightning while playing on the veranda of a house in the Dhopadanga area of Sundarganj during a sudden thunderstorm. Family members rushed them to a local hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

In another incident in Kamarpara village of Sadullapur, a young man named Mizanur Rahman was critically injured after being struck by lightning while working in a মাঠ. He was taken to Gaibandha General Hospital, where he later died.

A farmer named Ali Akbar was also killed by lightning in a চর area of Fulchhari upazila. Reports from the district indicate that additional fatalities occurred in Saghatta upazila, though full details of all victims were not immediately available.

Elsewhere in the country, two people were killed in Sirajganj and two in Jamalpur in similar incidents during the storms. One person each died in Singra upazila of Natore, Gabtoli upazila of Bogura and Atwari upazila of Panchagarh, according to local sources.

Officials said thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and intense lightning activity affected wide areas, posing significant risks, particularly for people working outdoors.

Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious during adverse weather conditions, avoid open fields and tall objects, and seek safe shelter during thunderstorms to reduce the risk of further casualties.