Fierce tropical storms wreaked havoc across Bangladesh on Thursday, killing more than 30 people, with police attributing many of the deaths to lightning strikes.
The death toll from the 10 worst-hit districts stood at 33, police confirmed, with reports of an unconfirmed number of casualties in more remote regions.
The northwest of the country was the worst hit, with at least 19 people killed in Pabna, Rajshahi, Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria districts as a huge electrical storm swept through the area at sunset.
“They were farmers. They were struck by lightning as they were returning home after day’s work,” said Pabna police inspector Ahsanul Haq, referring to the six people who died in that district.
In Rajshahi, five farmers were killed as they were working in rice fields, explained police inspector Shariful Alam.
Four people died in Sirajganj district and a further four in Brahmanbaria, local police officials said.
In Dhaka, three students in their early 20s were hit by lightning as they were playing football in the rain, local police station chief Kawser Ahmed said.
“They were rushed to a hospital where two died,” he said.
A further 12 people died in the strong storms in other parts of the country.
Private station Jamuna TV put the nationwide death toll at 42.
Strong tropical storms regularly hit Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon and then monsoon season, which spans from June to September.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)