PABNA CORRESPONDENT

Six people were killed and three others injured after a lightning strike hit a wetland in Pabna Sadar Upazila.

The incident took place on Friday (October 30) afternoon at Sonapati Beel in the Gobindapur area of the upazila. The identities of the deceased and injured could not be immediately confirmed.

Kabir Hossain Babu, chairman of Malanchi Union Parishad, confirmed the incident.

He said the victims had taken shelter inside a small structure covered with polythene as rain and lightning began. Lightning struck the structure, killing six people on the spot. The deceased were reportedly teenagers and young adults.

“We rescued the three injured individuals and sent them to the hospital,” he added.

According to local residents and police sources, people from different areas had gone to the wetland to catch fish earlier in the day. When lightning and rain began in the afternoon, several people took shelter inside a small elevated shelter in the wetland.

A lightning strike hit the shelter, killing six people instantly and seriously injuring three others.

The victims reportedly remained inside the shelter for some time. In the evening, nearby residents became aware of the incident, rescued the injured and took them to hospital for treatment.

Confirming the incident, Pabna Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Tarikul Islam said the location was in a remote area. Police had been dispatched to the scene, and efforts to recover the bodies were underway.