Four people were injured when struck by lightning near the Sydney Opera House in the Australian city of Sydney on Monday.
During a heavy thunderstorm, the four took shelter under a tree in the Botanical Garden, a stone’s throw from the iconic opera house. There, they were struck by a bolt of lightning, rendering them unconscious and suffering burns.
Emergency services said the victims – two men and two women ranging in age from their late teens to their 30s – also had cardiac arrhythmias. They were treated at the scene and then taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
About 75,000 lightning strikes were observed during thunderstorms across Sydney on Monday afternoon. More than 10,000 homes and businesses in northern neighborhoods were without power, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The storm and air traffic disrupted train services and was delayed because a runway at Sydney Airport was damaged. The thunderstorm was accompanied by heavy rainfall: 48 millimeters fell in one hour in the northwest of Sydney.
