By A Correspondent- A day that started as a celebration for newlyweds turned fatal after 17 wedding guests were struck and killed by lightning in Bangladesh on Wednesday, 4 August.

According to BBC, the groom and 14 other people were injured.

It is reported that the bride was not with the guests when the incident occurred.

“The party was disembarking from a boat at the riverside town of Shibganj, heading towards the bride’s house when they were caught in a thunderstorm,” the article read.

The locals told officials that several bolts of lightning hit the group.

In South Asia, hundreds of people are killed by lightning every year.

According to Dhaka Tribune, 2 164 people were killed in lightning strikes in Bangladesh from 2011 to last year.

However, the numbers are thought to be higher as many deaths are not officially recorded.

Some experts have blamed the removal of forest trees, saying it played a role in the rising number of deadly lightning strikes.

-DailySun