DHAKA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A series of lightning strikes killed 12 people in six districts of Bangladesh on Saturday.

The majority of the lightning fatalities occurred in rural areas where people were working on their farmlands, local sources said.

Deaths due to lightning strikes are common in Bangladesh during this time of the year, as the weather changes from the dry season to the rainy summer season.

The country has seen a surge of lightning strike deaths in recent years, data showed. ■