Home ›› 05 Aug 2021 ›› Governance
At least 17 people were killed and six others injured on Wednesday as a lightning struck a wedding party on the bank of river Padma in Chapainawabganj.
Chapainawabganj deputy commissioner Manjurul Hafiz confirmed the news to The Business Post, adding that the disaster happened in remote Shibganj upazila around noon.
Hafiz said a group of people were traveling by a to join a wedding party and its passengers took shelter under a shed on the river bank as it was raining. The shed was hit by lightning.
“When our UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) reached the spot, he found 13 bodies. Villagers told us relatives took away some others injured,” he said.
Shakib Al Rabbi, UNO of Shibganj upazila, told the Business Post that 17 people died from the incident.
Among the six injured, four were sent Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
The accident took place at Dakkhin Panka kheya ghat where these people took shelter on their way to Dakkhin Panka Terarashiya village in Shibganj from Narayanpur in Chapainawabganj sadar upazila by a boat to attend a post-wedding feast.
Resident Medical Officer of Chapainawabganj General Hospital Dr Nurunnahar Nasu said, six bodies and four injured persons were brought to the hospital.
The condition of the four injured persons is very critical and they were referred to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, she added.
Chapainawabganj Fire Service deputy director Saber Ali Pramanik said they found 14 bodies and relatives took some others’ bodies before they reached the spot.
According to NGO Foundation for Disaster Forum, at least 272 people were killed by lightning in Bangladesh until August 4 in 2021.
