Lightning strikes their boat in northern Bangladesh
The tragic death of a groom and 14 wedding guests.. they were struck by lightning and died instantly
archive photo
At least 15 people who were going to a wedding party, including the groom, were killed, and five others were injured after being struck by lightning in northern Bangladesh.
Fareed Hussain, a policeman, said lightning struck an open boat carrying at least 20 people in the Padma River in the mid-afternoon monsoon rains, killing 15 people instantly.
He added that the victims were on their way to attend a wedding in Sibjani district, more than 250 kilometers northwest of the capital, Dhaka.
He pointed out that five other people were injured in the accident, and they were immediately taken to hospital.
Local government official Jalaluddin said he knew the groom was among those killed by the lightning.
Death by lightning is common in Bangladesh, mainly due to a lack of knowledge of how to protect from thunderstorms.
At least 40 people were killed in May 2016 by lightning strikes after thunderstorms in Bangladesh, prompting the authorities to launch a campaign to educate citizens about the need to take cover during storms.
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