NETRAKONA, June 18: Three people, including a brick kiln worker, were killed in separate lightning strikes in Netrakona's Madan and Kendua upazilas on Thursday morning.
According to police sources, the deceased were identified as Rajib Mia, 24, son of Sonali Mia of Joypasha Village under Kaitail Union in Madan Upazila; Shamsul Huda, 55, of Digla Village under Maska Union in Kendua Upazila; and Ashraful Islam, 25, of Dawki Village in the same upazila.
The deaths were confirmed by Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Madan Police Station (PS) Md Salauddin Karim and Kendua PS OC Md Mehedi Maksud.
According to family members and local residents, Rajib, a brick kiln worker, had gone to a nearby field on Thursday morning to retrieve a traditional fish trap from a waterlogged paddy field. It had been raining since early morning, and while he was collecting the trap, he was struck by lightning.
Rajib was the sole earning member of his family, leaving his dependants in financial hardship.
In a separate incident in Kendua Upazila, Shamsul Huda was struck by lightning while fishing in the Morail beel on Thursday morning. He died on the spot.
Later the same morning, another lightning strike claimed the life of Ashraful Islam near a canal in Sandikona Village of the upazila.
Kendua PS OC Md Mehedi Maksud said police had recovered the bodies and would hand them over to the victims' families after completing the necessary legal formalities.
Madan Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nadir Hossain Shamim said the administration had received information about the death of Rajib, the brick kiln worker.
"We will visit the bereaved family, and financial assistance will be provided by the upazila administration upon receiving an application from the family," he said.
