Devastating Lightning Strikes Claim Lives Across Bangladesh
(MENAFN) Tragic incidents unfolded across Bangladesh on Sunday as lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least 13 individuals, as reported by a Turkish news agency and local news outlet. This latest toll underscores the escalating crisis of lightning-related fatalities in the country.
Nine people, including a child and several farmers, perished in the eastern districts of Brahmanbaria and central Kishoreganj due to the electrical storms. Separate fatalities were also reported in Chapaiwabganj, Naogaon, Sherpur, and Habiganj districts, according to the local news outlet. The incidents also left at least four people injured.
These devastating events occurred after the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) had issued forecasts predicting thunderstorms for numerous regions, including the capital Dhaka, amidst the oppressive heatwave gripping the nation.
This recent surge in casualties follows a prior incident on April 28, where lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least 17 people across seven districts, prompting urgent calls for public awareness to prevent further deaths.
The voluntary organization Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum, dedicated to raising awareness about thunderstorm risks, voiced its deep concern in a statement regarding the continuous loss of life due to lightning.
Kabirul Bashar, the organization's president and a faculty member at Jahangirnagar University, highlighted the alarming statistic that over 70% of lightning strike victims are engaged in agricultural work. He stressed that since lightning is unavoidable, public awareness campaigns are crucial for saving lives.
United Nations data indicates that Bangladesh averages around 300 lightning-related deaths annually. Shockingly, the period from January to April 30 of this year alone has already seen 67 fatalities, following a grim total of 297 deaths in the preceding year. The months of April through June are particularly perilous. In response to the rising death toll, the BMD has been issuing lightning warnings across Bangladesh since April 1 of this year.
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