Five people, including children, were killed by lightning at different places in Sylhet within three and a half hours. These incidents took place in Jaintapur, Kanighat and Goainghat upazilas between 12:30 noon and 4:00 pm last Saturday.
The deceased have been identified as Nahid Ahmad (13) son of Nurul Haque of Agfoud village in Jaintapur union, Abdul Mannan (45) son of Kala Mia of Vitrikhel Barband village, Nur Uddin (60) of Dalimati area of Kanaighat municipal area, Kala Mia (28) of Keotihaur in Laxmiprasad union and Kala Mia (28) of Goainghat. Ruksana Begum (47), wife of Razzak Mia of Tamankhel Haor village.
According to local administration and police sources, light rain started around 12 noon after drought for several days in Sylhet. After some time it started raining with thunder. In Jaintapur around 12:30 noon, Nahid Ahmad fell to the ground after being struck by lightning on his way to his home from Sarighat area. Later he was rescued and taken to Jaintapur Upazila Health Complex where the doctor declared him dead. At that time, Abdul Mannan was cultivating his land in Vitrikhel Barband village. At that time he was struck by lightning. Later local people rescued him dead. Jaintapur Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Umm Salik Rumaiya confirmed this information.
Meanwhile, two people died in separate lightning strikes in Dalaimati and Keotihaur areas of Kanighat municipal area around 4 pm. According to local and police sources, Kala Mia was fishing at Kootihaur in Lakshmiprasad UP of Kanaighat around 4 pm. At that time, he was struck by lightning and fell down. Later local people rescued him and took him to the Upazila Health Complex where the doctor declared him dead. Around the same time, Nur Uddin was struck by lightning and died while working in the field in Kanighat Municipal area.
Jahangir Hossain Sardar, officer-in-charge of Sylhet’s Kanighat police station, told Prothom Alo that two people died due to lightning. The bodies of the deceased will be recovered and handed over to the families after legal proceedings.
Apart from this, a woman named Ruksana Begum died due to lightning in Goainghat Upazila at 1:20 PM. Goainghat Upazila UNO Md. Tauhidul Islam said, Ruksana Begum was struck by lightning while working near her house. Later, the upazila project implementation officer and the chairman of the concerned union parishad gave Tk 20,000 as advance government financial assistance to the family of the deceased woman.