Lightning strike kills 17 wedding guests and injures 14 more
At least 17 members of a wedding party sadly died in Bangladesh when they were unexpectedly struck by lightning, according to reports.
Fourteen other people, including the groom, were injured in the thunderstorm and taken to hospital for treatment when the lightning struck on Wednesday.
The group of guests were getting off a boat at the riverside town of Shibganj, and were heading towards the bride's house, when the thunderstorm hit, according to the BBC. The bride wasn't on the boat.
Locals sat they saw several bolts of lightning hit the group as it reached a bank of the Padma River in Shibganj, a town in the Chapainawabganj district, which is about 150 miles north-west of Dhaka.
Lightning kills 11 people taking selfies as at least 38 die in strikes in space of 1 day
Every year, hundreds of people across South Asia are killed by lightning. In 2016 in Bangladesh, more than 200 people died in the month of May alone, including 82 people on a single day, forcing officials to declare lightning strikes a natural disaster.
Last month, at least 76 people had been killed in the early stages of the monsoon i n Bangladesh, according to officials in India.
It is currently the annual monsoon season in Bangladesh, which is crucial to replenishing water supplies. Most lightning deaths in Bangladesh happen between March and July. Hundreds of people, mostly farmers working in fields, are killed by lightning every year, the NY Times reports.
Lighting strike kills 10 children after game of football with youngest aged 9
At least 23 people died on 11 July in Rajasthan state. Officials told the media that some of those who were killed had been taking selfies during the storm, the Guardian reports.
Experts blame deforestation for playing a role in the rising number deadly lightning strikes, as the disappearance of tall trees would have previously drawn lightning strikes. They also say worsening air pollution and climate change are contributing factors to there being more lightning strikes, too.
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