Rain poured down on the city and adjoining areas incessantly for about six hours, starting from 4:30am. During the time, three people were injured in a wall collapse.

The unrelenting downpour inundated almost half of the city area and caused severe waterlogg-ing, sending the city streets, in some cases, under waist-deep water.

Patenga Met office recorded a rainfall of 172 mm in the last 24 hours ending at 3:00pm yesterday. But the downpour resulting from monsoon and the full-moon tide went on till 10:30pm, sources said.

Four people including a woman died when they were struck by lightning at two fishermen's villages under the coastal upazila of Sitakunda yesterday morning.

Of them, Sonabanshi Jalodas, 58, and Nepal Jalodas, 30, were killed by Dakshin Silimpur while Nepal Jalodas, 40, of Patiya upazila, and Arati Bala, in Bhatiary area.

One youth identified as Abdul Mannan, 30, was killed in lightning while working in his yard at Hazipara under the city's Bayezid thana the same morning.

Three others were killed by lightning as they were crossing the river Karnaphuli between Char Patharghata under Karnaphuli thana and Bridgeghata under Kotwali thana in the city.

However, the reason for death of two others identified as Alamgir, 30, and Nurul Alam, 45, and of another unidentified youth could not yet be confirmed.

WALL COLLAPSE
Three people including an elderly woman and a child were injured when a wall of an under-construction building collapsed in on the adjacent thatched house of Akhter Nahar in Debpahar area under Kotwali thana.

Of the injured, Hazera Khatun, 50, and Shahjahan, 3, were admitted to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in a critical condition, sources said.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain inundated some 20 out of 41 wards in the city. Besides, all low-lying areas of the district have been submerged, causing damage to properties and crops.

Of the city areas, Bahodderhat, Muradpur, Sholoshahar, Shulakbahar, Badurtala, Bakolia and Halishahar went under waist-deep water and the locals remained marooned till the afternoon.

Even city centres like Agrabad Commercial Area, Chawk Bazar, Chaktai, and Prabartak Intersection near Chittagong Medical College and Hospital went under knee-deep water.

Rainwater gushed into shops and houses, causing damage to properties and suffering to the people.

Waterlogging hindered the movement of vehicles and pedestrians until 3:00pm.