At least 24people were killed and21others injured inlightning strikes in 13 districts across the country on Wednesday.

The districts are Habiganj, Sunamganj, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Sirajganj, Nilphamari, Manikganj, Kishoreganj,Narayanganj, Gaibandha, Mymenshingh, Cumilla and Chandpur.

Six farmers were killed by lightning strikes while they were cutting paddy amid rain at different haors in Baniachang, Nabiganj, Lakhai and Madhabpur upazilas in Habiganj district, said sources at local disaster management centre.

The deceased were identified as Swapan Das, 20, son of Basanta Das of Dirai upazila in Sunamganj, Jalal Uddin, 60, of Chouhali upazila in Sirajganj, Narayan Paul, 40, son of Harilal of Nabiganj upazila in Habiganj, Abu Talib, 20, son of Habibur Rahman of Nabiganj, Sufi Miah, 55, of Lakhai upazila in Habiganj, Jahor Lal Sarkar, 23, son of Rajkumar Sarkar of Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj.

In Sunamganj, two farmers were killed by lightning at Shalla and Dharmapasha upazilas in the morning.

When Alamgir Hossain, 28, was working in a paddy field, a thunderbolt hit him, leaving him dead on the spot, said officer-in-charge of Shalla Police Station Delwar Hossain.

Meanwhile, in Dharmapasha upazila, a thunderbolt struck farmer Uzzal when he was harvesting paddy, said police.

In Rajshahi, two farmers—Ansar Ali, 30, and Sohag Ali, 16, of Bataspur village in Tanor upazila—were killed by lightning strikes.

Tanor Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shawkat Ali said Ansar Ali died on the spot and two others -Anada Saha, 32, and Liton Chandra Saha, 30- sustained wound as a thunderbolt hit them in a paddy field in Bataspur village.

Besides, a streak of lightning hit Sohag, leaving him dead on the spot while he was working in a field in Duboil village of Panchodor union.

Families of each deceased will be provided with Tk 20,000 and 30 kg rice as compensation, the UNO said.

In Sirajganj, a thunderbolt hit Samtulla, 50, of Panagari village of Kazipur upazila while he was working in a field amid rain around 11 am, killing him on the spot.

In another incident, school student Shakil Miah, 15, was injured in a lightning strike while he was going to school in Jamuna Shoal area.

Shakil was admitted to Kazipur Upazila Health Complex, said Kazipur Upazila Parishad Chairman Mozammel Haque.

In Nilphamari, two others - Asma Bewa, 55, wife of late Islam Uddin of Salna village in Jaldhaka upazila, and Nur Amin, 40, son of Safar Uddin of Desibai village of same upazila, were killed by lightning strikes, said officer-in-charge of Jaldhaka Police Station Mostafizur Rahman.

In Manikganj, two people, including a school student, were killed and 10 others injured as they were struck by lightning.

Talukdarnagar High School headmaster Md Aminur Rahman said around 1:45 pm when the students were having their tiffin during the break,a thunderbolt hit them, injuring 11 students.

Later, Saiful died on the way to hospital and the rest were admitted to the Upazila Health Complex.

Meanwhile, Banchamora Union Parishad chairman Abdul Latif said farmer Yakub Ali, son of late Hafez Sheikh of Hasadia village of Daulatpur upazila, died on the spot as a thunderbolt hit him while working in a paddy field.

In Kishoreganj, a woman and a young man were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike at Satirchar of Nikli upazila and Ashutia of Pakundia upazila.

The deceased were identified as Shah Jalal, 25, son of Main Uddin of Satirchar and Dipali Rani Barman, wife of Sudhir Chandra Barman of Ashutia.

In Sylhet, a streak of lightning hit Nurul Haque, 30, son of Chandhu Miah of Companiganj upazila, while he was going to his uncle’s house in Goainghat upazila around 2 pm, leaving him dead on the spot, said police.

In Narayanganj, a schoolboy, Kulfi Aktar, 8, was killed in a lightning strike while playing near her house at Tilab village in Sonargaon upazila.

In Gaibandha, another farmer - Mohar Ali - died as a thunderbolt hit him while cutting paddy in Kalirbazar area of Fulchhari upazila.

In Mymenshingh, Alal Uddin, 60, was killed as a thunderbolt hit him while going to field to bring his cattle at Char Nilkheya in Sadar upazila around 2:30 pm.

At least eight people were also injured in different upazilas of the district after being struck by lightning.

In Cumilla, two young men were killed as a thunderbolt hit them when they were returning home from a paddy field at Jatrapur village in Muradnagar upazila.

The deceased were identified as Selim, 17, son of Firoz Miah, and Emon, 15, son of Abdul Hamid, 15, said AKM Manjur Alam, officer-in-charge of Muradnagar Police Station.

In Chandpur, a minor boy—Md Jamal Hossain, 12, son of Md Abdul Motin, was killed as a thunderbolt hit him in Kachua upazila of the district in the afternoon, said Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kachua Police Station.