Four people in Australia have been taken to hospital after being struck by lightning near the iconic Sydney Opera House, authorities have said.
The four victims, including a 36-year-old couple and a 19-year-old man, were sheltering under a tree near the famous landmark during a violent storm on Monday when they were struck, ambulance workers said.
The New South Wales ambulance service’s Dominic Wong told reporters that the victims suffered burns and presented with cardiac symptoms after the incident at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens.
The four, two men and two women, were taken to hospital after being treated at the scene by paramedics and are in a “serious and stable” condition, according to authorities.
Sydney was battered by intense thunderstorms on Monday that left more than 10,000 households and businesses without power and caused serious delays to air passengers and road and rail commuters.
About 75,000 lightning strikes were detected within 100km (62 miles) of Australia’s largest city between 11am and 2pm, according to Weatherzone’s Total Lightning Network.
Credit: bbc.com
