Lightning strike injures dozens at German rock festival
June 4, 2016
At least 51 were injured, a number of them severely, on Friday at the "Rock am Ring" music festival in Mendig, western Germany, due to severe thunderstorms in the area.
"Eight fans have been hospitalized for injuries sustained in a thunderstorm," Rock am Ring organizers tweeted late Friday.
Some 45,000 attendees gathered for "Rock am Ring," although the extreme weather conditions interrupted Friday night's musical acts for at least half an hour.
However, a festival spokeswoman dismissed rumors that the organizers would cancel the rest of the three-day festival, which features American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and British metal band Black Sabbath, with lead singer Ozzy Osbourne.
Across Europe
Severe flooding and inclement weather over the past week have left at least 14 people dead across Europe.
In Germany, a man on Friday suffered a heart attack during a rescue operation in the village of Triftern in Bavaria, and died from complications at a hospital.
Rapid response teams worked to clear debris in the area and search for survivors in basements.
"The most important thing today is to ensure the area-wide supply of drinking water and to restore the road network," said a spokeswoman for the district of Rottal-Inn, where Triftern is located.
In France, over 20,000 people were relocated over the past week due to heavy rains and flooding.
French President Francois Hollande on Friday said "more decisions" may be required to tackle the effects of "exceptional" flooding in Paris and other regions across France.
Aside from Germany and France, the extreme weather has also caused deaths in Belgium and Romania.
ls/jr (dpa, Tagesschau, AFP, AP)