Lightning Strike Injures 39 In Germany

Witnesses describe seeing a bright flash and hearing a loud bang before victims were thrown into the air at a Father's Day party.

The lightning strike took place during a severe storm (file) A lightning strike has injured 39 people, eight of them severely, at a Father's Day party in Germany. The majority of those hurt were affected by shock and burns. The strike happened at a fairground near the city of Schwerin, in the north east of the country. A witness told NDR 1 Radio MV, there was a loud bang and when they could next see, it appeared that people had fallen down in "rows". One of those affected, Manfred Schliehe, told RP Online: "We saw a blue light right in front of us, all over the ground." "(Then) we were all thrown 10 inches into the air." He said a woman next to him screamed. She was among the dozens injured. Mr Schliehe escaped without being hurt, but said hours later he was still suffering from shock.

The lightning strike happened near Schwerin Three of those seriously injured were flown by helicopter to nearby hospitals, a police spokesman said. At least 34 people were taken to a hospital in Schwerin with minor injuries. In total, four helicopters, five ambulances and two fire units were used to treat the injured at the fairground. More than 500 people were attending the event in the village of Dabel, near Schwerin, about 180km north of the capital Berlin. Witnesses said lightning struck a group of trees and a nearby switch box on the village green around 1pm. Police spokesman Joerg Bruhn said many visitors at the fairground suffered minor injuries. Some were treated at the scene but most were evacuated. The German weather service said a severe thunderstorm was moving through parts of the north east region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the time of the impact. On Father's Day in Germany, men traditionally go on day trips or simply get together to drink beer, without their families.
http://news.sky.com/story/1088934/lightningstrikeinjures39ingermany

Traduo google Um relmpago ocorreu durante uma tempestade severa (arquivo) Um raio feriu 39 pessoas, oito delas gravemente, na festa de Dia dos Pais na Alemanha. A maioria das pessoas que foram afetadas pela dor choque e queimaduras. O raio caiu num parque de diverses perto da cidade de Schwerin, no nordeste do pas. Uma testemunha disse NDR Radio 1 MV, houve um grande estrondo e quando eles poderiam ver ao lado, parecia que as pessoas tinham cado em "linhas". Uma das pessoas atingidas, Manfred Schliehe, disse RP Online: "Ns vimos uma luz azul direita na frente de ns, por todo o cho." "(Ento) fomos todos jogados 10 polegadas para o ar." Ele disse uma mulher ao lado dele gritou. Ela estava entre as dezenas de feridos. Mr Schliehe escapou sem ser ferido, mas disse horas depois ele ainda estava sofrendo de choque. Um relmpago caiu perto Schwerin Trs delas gravemente feridos foram levados de helicptero para hospitais prximos, disse um porta-voz da polcia. Pelo menos 34 pessoas foram levadas para um hospital em Schwerin com ferimentos leves. No total, quatro helicpteros, cinco ambulncias e duas unidades de fogo foram usadas para tratar os feridos no parque de diverses. Mais de 500 pessoas estavam presentes no evento, na aldeia de Dabel, perto de Schwerin, a cerca de 180 quilmetros ao norte da capital Berlim. Testemunhas disseram que um raio atingiu um grupo de rvores e uma caixa de distribuio nas proximidades da vila verde em torno de 01:00. O porta-voz da polcia disse Joerg Bruhn muitos visitantes no recinto sofreu ferimentos leves. Alguns foram tratados no local, mas a maioria foram evacuados. O servio meteorolgico alemo disse que a forte tempestade estava se movendo atravs de partes da regio nordeste de Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, no momento do impacto. No Dia do Pai, na Alemanha, os homens tradicionalmente ir em passeios de um dia ou simplesmente se renem para beber cerveja, sem suas famlias.