At least 7 killed as strong storm lashes Bangladesh

DHAKA - At least seven people were killed and dozens of others injured as a severe storm lashed parts of Bangladesh on Monday night for hours, an official said Tuesday.

Of the deceased, according to the official, four were killed in Rajshahi district, some 256 km west of Dhaka.

Three of the Rajshahi victims succumbed to their injuries at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Monday night, said a police official who declined to be named.

He said the storm left a tail of destruction, uprooting hundreds of trees, flattening many tin and mud-built houses in the district, and snapping road and rail communication with affected areas.

Three others have reportedly been killed in Chapainawabganj district, some 302 km northwest of capital Dhaka, on Monday night in lightnings and destruction.

The storm, however, came as a bless for millions of Dhaka dwellers who heaved a sigh of relief with a light drizzle after days of heat wave swept through the country.

Bangladesh is affected by severe tornadoes and storms from March to mid-May ahead of a four-month wet monsoon season.