At least four people died and more than 100 were injured in lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Poland.
The worst bolt fell on a group of hikers at the summit of Giewont, a popular peak in the Tatra range in the south of the country.
A fifth person was killed in neighbouring Slovakia. At least one of the victims was said to be a child.
The storm is said to have descended suddenly after a sunny morning.
- Â Firefighters during a rescue operation in Zakopane, Poland . A group of tourists was struck by lightning on the peak Giewont in Tatra Mountains near Zakopane. Giewont (1894 m) is the most frequented peak in the Tatras. EPA-EFE/GRZEGORZ MOMOTÂ
There were reports of casualties in different parts of the mountain range. At least four rescue helicopters were sent to the area.
- Firefighters during a rescue operation in Zakopane, Poland. EPA-EFE/GRZEGORZ MOMOTÂ
The worst incident occurred on Thursday at the top of the 1,894 metres Giewont mountain, where a metal cross is sited. A lightning bolt is thought to have struck the 15 metre structure at a time when many hikers were at the summit, and the current then travelled along a metal railing.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that most of the 100 people injured had severe burns or serious head injuries.
- An injured tourist is transported to the hospital in Zakopane, Poland. EPA-EFE/GRZEGORZ MOMOT EDS NOTE: Faces of injured people are pixelated due to Polish law
