At least nine people are killed and five others injured in separate lightning strikes in Sunamganj and Tangail districts on September 20, 2016.
In Tangail, a man and his two sons were killed and his wife was injured at a village in Madhupur upazila's Beribaid union in the early hours.
The dead are Nikhil Hajong, 45, his sons George Simsang, 11, and Loton Simsang, 9. Nikhil's wife Janata Simsang, 30, suffered critical burns.
Janata was first taken to Madhupur Upazila Health Complex but later shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, said Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Madhupur Police Station.
The incident occurred around 4:30am when they were sleeping at their home in the forest area. One of the windows of the house was open when lightning struck, the OC quoted locals as saying.
The trio died on the spot, he added.
In Sunamganj, six people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes.
Shamim Miah, 45, and Tohur Miah, 35, died after being struck by lightning in Dirai upazila. They were going to Dirai Bazar by a boat, police said.
Five others on the boat were also injured.
An 11-year-old boy was killed at Tuk Dirai village in the upazila.
Three others died in Shalla upazila while fishing in a haor. Police identified them as Hridoy Miah, 18, Iman Miah, 20, and Khairul Haque, 20, of Shreehail village.
Dirai Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Abdul Jalil said the injured were taken to Dirai Upazila Health Complex and Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
In Kishoreganj, five people were killed and two others injured in separate incidents of lightning strikes yesterday and on Monday.
A mother and her son died after being hit by lightning in Karimganj upazila's Gujadia union around 10:00am yesterday, police said.
They are Lolita Begum, 40, and her son Rimon Miah, 15.
Two fishermen -- Nurul Islam, 20, and Rustom Ali, 30, -- were killed while fishing in a water body at Sajonpur in Nikli upazila. Two others were also injured.
On Monday, farmer Nizam Uddin, 60, was killed in lightning at Katkhali village in Sadar upazila.
In Dinajpur, two farmers were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes.
Police identified the deceased as Piaro Musahar, 60, and Moti Chandra Roy, 35.
Piaro along with six other farmers was struck by lightning while working in a paddy field at Sardarpara village in Parbatipur upazila around 1:30pm. Piaro died on the spot while the six others were injured, police said.
Locals took the injured to Badarganj Upazila Health Complex in Rangpur.
Moti Chandra of Khansama upazila died on the spot after being struck by lightning around 8:30am. He too was working in a field, police said.
In Chapainawabganj, Wahidul Islam, 45, and Abdur Rakib, 23, of Johorpur village in Sadar upazila were killed by lightning.
Kamaludddin Huda, chairman of Narayanpur union parishad, said Wahidul and Rakib died on the spot while they were fishing in the Padma river at Sonardi Char area around 3:00pm.
In Manikganj, Moijuddin, 55, of Railya village in Saturia upazila was killed while he was milking his cow on his yard around 6:00am.
According to the National Geographic, each lightning strike can contain up to one billion volts of electricity. It is extremely hot as a flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun's surface.
M Khalid Mahmud, director at the Department of Disaster Management, suggested that no one should stay under the open sky while it is raining.
Although he could not give the total number of deaths in lightning this year, he said the hazard has become acute in recent times and that the government was working on creating awareness among the people about it.
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