449 killed by lightning strikes last year
At least 449 people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes across the country last year.
The information was revealed during a round-table discussion organized by Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) on Sunday, reports UNB.
The rate of lightning strikes is increasing in Bangladesh due the adverse effect of climate change and the multidimensional use of electric equipments in the context of economic development, the speakers said.
According to the research of IDEB, 274 people were killed in 2015, 387 were killed in 2016, 372 were killed in 2017 while 449 people lost their lives in 2018. Most of them belong to the marginal population.
Out of the deceased, 34 percent were farmers, 26 percent construction workers, 9 percent pedestrians, 4 percent temporary workers, 4 percent in barges and 26 percent were from other professions.
Speakers believe the rate of death can be brought down with prior warning of thunderstorms and public awareness campaigns.
A K M Hamid, President of IDEB moderated the discussion while senior journalists of national media spoke at the occasion.
