Lightning strikes kill 5 in Rangamati, Cox’s Bazar

At least five people were killed by lightning strikes in Rangamati and Cox’s Bazar districts on Thursday.

In Rangamati, three people were killed and seven others injured when thunderbolts struck them in separate places in the morning.

The deceased are Nazir Hossain, 50, a resident of Sylheti Para in Rangamati district town, Baharjan Begum, 60, wife of Lal Mia of Baghaichari upazila and Thuibala Tripura, 37, of Sajek.

Dr Shawkat Akbar Khan, resident medical officer of Rangamati General Hospital, said Nazir died on the spot when a thunderbolt struck him while he was catching fish at Kaptai Lake in the morning.

Meanwhile, Baharjan was killed by a lightning strike while bringing cattle from the field amid rain, said Jasmin Chakma, chairman of Rupkari union.

A goat also died during lightning.

On the other hand, Thuibala was killed when a streak of thunderbolts hit her while she was working at her yard in Sajek’s Longthianpara.

Shirin Akter, Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said two people – Baharjan and Tripura died in the upazila and Tk10,000 each was provided to the family members of the deceased.

Seven people were also injured during lightning strikes in different parts of the district.

In Cox’s Bazar, two workers were killed as a thunderbolt struck them in separate places at Chhari Para in Pekua upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Thursday.

The deceased were identified as Didarul Islam, 30, son of Jamir and Md Arafat, 25, son of Jamal Uddin of the upazila.

According to local sources, it started raining at night. The two workers rushed to the field to collect salt in the morning. At that time there was frequent lightning in the sky. The two workers died in the salt field during the rain and lightning in the morning.

Locals took the two people to the Pekua Upazila Health Complex where the doctor on duty declared them dead.

Pekua Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Mujibur Rahman said that in the morning, the bodies of two salt workers from the Rajakhali and Magnama areas were brought to the hospital. However, they died before being brought to the hospital.

Lightning strikes kill 250 people on average every year in the country, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Thunderbolts also kill or injure a large number of livestock.

Lightning strikes mostly occur from April to May till June and most of the deaths occur in flat lands and haor areas.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. Considering the upward trend, the government in 2016 declared it a national disaster.