Dhaka, Bangladesh : Fierce tropical storms wreaked havoc across Bangladesh on Thursday, killing more than 30 people, with police attributing many of the deaths to lightning strikes.
The number of deaths worst-hit districts stood at 33, police told AFP, with reports of an unconfirmed number of casualties in more remote regions.
The northwest of the country was the worst hit, with at least 19 people killed in Pabna, Rajshahi, Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria districts as a huge electrical storm swept through the area at sunset.
"They were farmers. They were struck by lightning as they were returning home after day's work," Pabna police inspector Ahsanul Haq told AFP, referring to the six people who died in that district.
In Rajshahi, five farmers were killed as they were working in rice fields, police inspector Shariful Alam told AFP.
Four people died in Sirajganj district and a further four in Brahmanbaria, local police officials said.
In Dhaka, three students in their early 20s were hit by lightning as they were playing football in the rain, local police station chief Kawser Ahmed said.
"They were rushed to a hospital where two died," he told AFP.
A further 12 people died in the strong storms in other parts of the country.
Private station Jamuna TV put the nationwide death toll at 42.
Strong tropical storms regularly hit Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon and then monsoon season, which spans from June to September.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The number of deaths worst-hit districts stood at 33, police told AFP, with reports of an unconfirmed number of casualties in more remote regions.
The northwest of the country was the worst hit, with at least 19 people killed in Pabna, Rajshahi, Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria districts as a huge electrical storm swept through the area at sunset.
In Rajshahi, five farmers were killed as they were working in rice fields, police inspector Shariful Alam told AFP.
Advertisement
In Dhaka, three students in their early 20s were hit by lightning as they were playing football in the rain, local police station chief Kawser Ahmed said.
Advertisement
A further 12 people died in the strong storms in other parts of the country.
Advertisement
Strong tropical storms regularly hit Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon and then monsoon season, which spans from June to September.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Were Protesters Seen In Bangladesh PM's Bed After She Fled? A Fact-Check Cyclone Bulbul To Make Landfall Between Bengal, Bangladesh By Sunday 35 Killed in Bangladesh Storms Student Arrested For Controversial Post On Mamata Banerjee Malala Yousafzai's Post On Taliban After Attending Taylor Swift Concert Flower Seller Forced To Buy iPhone For Son On Hunger Strike, Internet Reacts UPSC To Introduce AI-Based CCTV Surveillance To Prevent Cheating Switzerland Offers Rs 50 Lakh For Solutions To Clear Ammunition From Lakes Gen Z Is Turning Their Climate Change Anxiety Into Activism, Here's Why Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.