Nor'wester kills eight in four districts

At least eight people were killed in separate incidents in Sylhet, Magura, Dinajpur and Jessore districts as a nor'wester swept over different parts across the country on Friday, report agencies.

In Sylhet, three people, including a child, were killed during the nor'wester.

The deceased were identified as Sohel Ahmed, resident of Kalaruka area under Sadar upazila, Sabiya Begum, 45, wife of Khalis Mia of Sonapur village in Balajanj upazila and Hasan Ahmad, son of Sumon Ahmad of Sikandarpur Rang Borong village in Umarpur union of Usmaninagar upazila.

Sohel died at his poultry firm in Hatkhola area under Jalalabad union in Sadar upazila when a bamboo hit his head during the storm, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jalalabad Thana Shafiqul Islam.

Osmaninagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anisur Rahman said Sabiya died at her relative's house at Doshal village in Usmaninagar upazila as her throat was slashed by a loose tin from the roof of an under-construction building during the storm.

Sixteen-month-old Hasan Ahmad was drowned during the storm that struck the district last afternoon. Later, police recovered his body from a pond near his house, the sources added.

In Magura, three people including a child were killed in the storm.

The deceased were identified as Akram Hossain, 50, of Palita village, Rehan Ali, 5, of Rajpat village and Alim Uddin, 25, of Mollahpara in the district.

Magura Deputy Commissioner Atikur Rahman said three people were killed after being hit by thunderbolt and hailstorm while 20 others were also injured around 5pm.

Besides, hailstorm caused serious damage to crops in Binodpur, Chanpur, Urara, Khalia and Ghoranach areas of the district.

"We visited the spots and distributed 20 metric tons of rice, Tk 50,000 and 50 bundle of corrugated sheets among the affected people", the commissioner added.

In Dinajpur, another man, Syed Ali died while he was working at the roof of his teed-shed house when hailstorm hit him, leaving him dead on the spot, said Chandipur UP member Abdus Salam.

Meanwhile, hailstorm in Parbatipur, Nababganj and Chirirbandar upazilas in the Dinajpur district caused serious damage to the crops and buds of mango and litchi.

In Jessore, Laizu Khatun, 19, died from electrocution as a live electric wire fell on her at Prembag in Abhaynagar upazila this evening during a storm, said Syed Sawkat Hossain, member of Prembag Union Parishad.

Two others -Oishee and Fatema- sustained injuries in the incident while they were going to a nearby shop.

Oishee was admitted to Jessore General Hospital while Fatema was sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital for treatment.