Five workers at a brick kiln in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur were killed and another was injured after being struck by lightning on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Nazmul, 18, son of Badsha Mia, Siam, 20, son of Sirul, Shahadat, 25, son of Al Amin, Rashedul, 24, son of Aytal and Jabbar, age unknown, son of Abdul Jalil of Sadullapur upazila of the district.

All of them were employed at the same brick kiln. With their wide open expanses without any tree cover, brick kilns present obvious risks of exposure to lightning strikes during inclement weather.  

Rabiul Islam, chairman of Kabilpur union said the tragedy occurred at 3pm close to BTC intersection when a thunderbolt struck while the workers were working outdoors amid rain, leaving 5 of them dead on the spot.

The injured Mehedul of Rasulpur village was sent to a local hospital.

Lightning strikes in Bangladesh

Lightning strikes have become one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives on average every year - more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, some 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. The number of deaths in 2021 was 362. 

Farmers working out in their fields are the most frequent victims.