Seven people were killed and hundreds more were injured when a series of tornados ripped through parts of Bangladesh Thursday, officials said. Five people died when a whirlwind bore down on a field where a large number of Muslim devotees had gathered to pray in central Bangladesh Thursday, police said. Eight of the injured were in serious condition, a police official said.
The tornado struck early afternoon in Tongi, in northern Dhaka district, while thousands of devotees were praying for the success of a major religious congregation taking place in the area, the official said. Known as Ijtema, the gathering of Muslims is considered to be the second biggest after the Hajj in Saudi Arabia and is held annually at Tongi after the fasting month of Ramadan. afp |