One dead, several injured as lightning storms hit parts of Europe

One man has been killed and dozens of people, including children, have been taken to hospital as lightning strikes hit parts of Europe, including a park in Paris and a football pitch in Germany. In southern Poland, a man in his forties was killed when he was struck by lightning as he descended the Babia Gora mountain, according to reports. In Germany, a total of 33 people, including 29 youngsters aged nine to 11, were treated after a bolt hit a pitch where a junior football game was being played, in the western town of Hoppstädten.

According to what everyone present says, there were no clouds in the sky… so that this incident couldn’t have been expected.

Police spokesman speaking to German TV

The 45-year-old referee suffered a direct strike and was taken to hospital by helicopter. He was one of three adults seriously injured. The game had just finished when the lightning hit at about 2pm on Saturday, according to a police spokesman. Parts of western Germany have seen storms, heavy rain and hail over the past two days. The incident came on the same day as a lightning strike at a children’s birthday party in a Parisian park left 11 people in hospital, including at least two in a life-threatening condition. The victims were at Parc Monceau in the northwest of the city when the thunderstorm struck. They had tried to take shelter under a tree, but were hit by lightning.

lightning