Lightning strikes kill 13 across country

At least 13 people were killed yesterday in lightning strikes across the country.

Of them, five died in Sunamganj; two each in Rangpur and Mymensingh; and one each in Habiganj, Netrokona, Lalmonirhat, and Kishoreganj.

In Sunamganj, five people were killed in separate lightning strikes in four upazilas of Sunamganj while harvesting and drying Boro paddy.

In Dharmapasha upazila, Habibur Rahman died after being struck by lightning while harvesting paddy in Togar Haor. In the same upazila, Rahmat Ullah was killed while drying paddy beside his house, said Dharmapasha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahid Ullah.

In Jamalganj, Nuruzzaman was killed while harvesting paddy in Pagnar Haor, confirmed Jamalganj Police Station OC Md Bande Ali.

In Tahirpur, Abul Kalam died while working in Matian Haor, said Tahirpur Police Station OC Aminul Islam.

Meanwhile, Liton Miah was killed while harvesting paddy in Kaliagota Haor, said Dr Prashanta Das Talukdar, resi-dent medical officer of Tahirpur Upazila Health Complex.

In Mymensingh, Rahmat Ali Ujjal, 30, of Gouripur died after being hit by lightning while harvesting paddy, said Gou-ripur Police Station OC Md Kamrul Hasan. Meanwhile, Momtaz Ali Khan, 58, of Gafargaon died while returning home after Zohr prayers, said Pagla Police Station OC Md Aminul Islam.

In Rangpur, two people were killed during a storm in Mithapukur upazila.

The deceased are farmer Taleb Uddin, 60, and fisherman Milon Islam, 42 -- both from Boro Hazratpur Sakhipur area in the upazila.

Locals rescued and took them to Mithapukur Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Taleb and Milon dead, confirmed Mithapukur Police Station OC Nuruzzaman Ahmed.

In Habiganj, Sunam Uddin, 60, of Rampur village, was killed while harvesting paddy in Momina Haor, said Nabiganj Police Station OC Md Monayem Mia.

In Netrokona, a farmer, Altu Mia, 65, died in Atpara upazila. Atpara Police Station OC Zubaidul Alam said Altu died on the spot when he went to the Meshir Haor to cut grass for his cattle.

In Kishoreganj, Halud Mia, 37, of Kolabag village in Joyka union, died while harvesting paddy in a large haor in Karimganj, said UNO Umme Muslima.

In Lalmonirhat, Abdar Hossain, 55, was struck by lightning while working in a paddy field in Aditmari upazila, said OC Nazmul Haque of Aditmari Police Station.

[Our Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Lalmonirhat, Mymensingh, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj correspondents contributed to this report.