Lightning kills 16 people at a wedding in Bangladesh

The guests had just stepped off a boat in the town of Shibganj, located not far from the border with India, to take shelter from the storm when lightning struck, the town's government administrator said. Sixteen people died after being struck within seconds by lightning in the western district of Chapainawabganj. The groom was injured, while the bride was not among them.

 

Severe monsoon storms recently hit Bangladesh and a week of torrential rains in the southeastern district of Cox's Bazar left some 20 people dead, including six Rohingya refugees.

 

Hundreds of people are killed each year by lightning in Bangladesh. However, according to some experts, deforestation is the cause of an increasing number of deaths.

 

To try to limit the consequences of climate change and the number of lightning-related deaths, this South Asian country has planted hundreds of thousands of palm trees.