Orphaned by lightning, 8 siblings in despair

The seven sisters and one brother had a somewhat happy life under the care of parents at their Purbo Jalalpur village home in Adampur union of Kamalganj upazila under the district but a lightning strike on Saturday night turned everything upside down.

Their parents -- Azir Ali, 40, and Alima Akter, 34, were critically injured as a streak of thunderbolt struck them around 8:00pm on Saturday when they were working in their courtyard, said Abdal Hossain, chairman of Adampur union parishad.

They were admitted to Kamalganj Upazila Health Complex where they died at about 9:25pm the same night, he added.

As this correspondent talked to the eldest of them, Hamida Begum, 18, she started crying.

She could hardly speak a few words about their plight.

His younger sisters, Samina, 13, and Amina, 10, Sharmin, 8, Naznin, 6, Fahima, 5, and Beauty, 3, looked too quiet as the shock of losing parents has snatched away playfulness of their childhood.

Their only brother Koyes Ahmed, 16, seemed hapless, as the thought of maintaining the siblings now creeps into his mind.

Compassionate neighbours have extended their helpful hands to them.

"I took the responsibility of feeding the orphaned siblings for a week. Many others are coming forward and giving money to them," said Mamun Mia, a trader of the village.

Mohammad Mahmudul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer of Kamalganj, said he will try to help the orphan siblings.