29 June 2024,   19:22
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Lightning strike in Czech Republic injures 18 people

Eighteen people were injured in the Czech Republic after a tree they were sheltering under was struck by lightning, local emergency services said, writes BBC.

The strike happened on Sunday afternoon in the Liberec-Vratislavice castle park, located in the northern Liberec region about 90km north-east of Prague. Photos and videos shared by the fire service show dozens of emergency personnel and vehicles at the scene.

Officials have not provided details of those who were injured, but local media reported that children were among those taken to hospital and that the park was hosting an event to mark International Children’s Day.

Czech TV station CT 24 reported that 5 of the injured were children aged between 2 and 16, and that 5 adults were resuscitated at the scene. A spokesperson for the Liberec regional hospital, Vaclav Ricar, told local newspaper Liberecky Denik that it had received 17 patients who were all conscious. He also confirmed that one child was airlifted to a hospital in Prague.

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