April 27, 2026 | 07:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Lightning strikes have killed at least 14 people across Bangladesh, Sunday, April 26, 2026, as thunderstorms hit several districts following prolonged heatwaves, according to local police and media.
The deaths were reported in seven districts, including five people in the northern district of Gaibandha. "Five people, including two children, died in lightning strikes in Gaibandha district," said Muhammad Rakib, a police officer on duty at the district control room to Anadolu, as quoted by ANTARA.
In separate incidents, two people died in the northern district of Thakurgaon, two in Sirajganj during the first storm of the season, and two more in Jamalpur. One person each died in the districts of Panchgart, Natore, and Bogra, according to the Prothom Alo newspaper.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said isolated rain may continue in several parts of the country over the coming days, which could relieve the ongoing heatwave that has been affecting most of Bangladesh in recent weeks.
After over a week of scorching heat, rain accompanied by lightning was reported in Dhaka and in the regions of Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet on Sunday, April 26, 2026. The Lightning Awareness and Community Safety Forum, a volunteer organization focusing on lightning awareness, stated that 330 people died from lightning strikes in Bangladesh last year.
Most of the victims were farmers working in open fields without protection, said Kabirul Bashar, the organization's president and a professor at Jahangirnagar University. "Farmers should wear safety gear, including plastic boots or long gumboots while working in agricultural fields, particularly during the summer and rainy seasons. Lack of awareness is the main reason behind such big casualties every year," he told Anadolu.
According to UN data, an average of 300 people die each year due to lightning strikes in Bangladesh, with most deaths occurring between April and June. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has been issuing lightning warnings since last year due to the rising death toll.
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