At least 17 members of a wedding party have died in Bangladesh after being struck by lightning, officials said.

Fourteen other people, including the groom, were injured. The bride was not with the wedding party.

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.

Local people said several bolts of lightning hit the group.

Every year, hundreds of people across South Asia are killed by lightning.

In 2016, Bangladesh declared lightning strikes a natural disaster when more than 200 people died in the month of May alone, including 82 people on a single day.

Experts say deforestation has played a part in the rising number deadly lightning strikes due to the disappearance of many tall trees that before would have drawn lightning strikes.