Lightning strike kills 5 in Shariatpur, Barishal

Five fishermen including two of a family were killed by lightning strike in Barishal and Shariatpur districts early Monday and Sunday.

In Barishal, a man and his son-in-law were killed when thunderbolt struck them while catching fish in the Gazaria river of Mehendiganj upazila.

The deceased were identified as Shaheed Biswas (69) and his son-in-law Russel Bepari (32) son of Shaheed Bepari of Mehendiganj upazila.

Maruf Hossain, in-charge of Kaliganj river police said Shaheed and Russel went to the river to catch fish on Monday morning.

A thunderbolt struck them there,  leaving both dead on the spot, he said.

In Shariatpur, a Lightning strike left three people dead at Bahir Kushia village in Naria upazila of Shariatpur district on Sunday.

The deceased were identified as Shaheen Sheikh (38), Siraj Ojha (50), Shaheen Majhi (40) of Naria upazila.

Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Naria Police Station, said all of them died on the spot when a streak of thunderbolts struck them while they were fishing in a pond.

Later, locals recovered the bodies.

Lightning strikes have become one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives on average every year - more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, some 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. The number of deaths in 2021 was 362.

Farmers working out in their fields are the most frequent victims.