• Climate change is increasing the frequency, severity and unpredictability of climate-related disasters.
• Lightning strikes caused by storms have killed at least 21 people in the South Asian nation.
• Three youngsters were struck by lightning in remote village of Nandail.

Monsoon storms in Bangladesh have killed at least 25 people and unleashed deadly floods that have trapped more than four million others, officials reported Saturday.

According to researchers, millions of people in low-lying Bangladesh are regularly threatened by floods, but climate change is increasing their frequency, severity, and unpredictability.

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Schools have been converted into emergency shelters to house entire communities flooded within hours by rivers that suddenly overflowed their banks.

Lokman, whose family lives in the village of Companyganj, stated, “The whole village went under water by early Friday and we all got stranded.”

“After waiting a whole day on the roof of our home, a neighbour rescued us with a makeshift boat. My mother said she has never seen such floods in her entire life, ” added the 23-year-old.

Asma Akter, another woman rescued from the rising floods, reported that her family had gone two days without food.

“The water rose so quickly we couldn’t bring any of our things,” she claimed. “And how can you cook anything when everything is underwater?”

Since Friday afternoon, lightning strikes caused by storms have killed at least 21 people in the South Asian nation, according to AFP.

Three youngsters between the ages of 12 and 14 were among those struck by lightning in the remote village of Nandail on Friday, according to local police head Mizanur Rahman.

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