Hiker struck by lightning on Zugspitze
On the Zugspitze, there is a tragic accident on Sunday afternoon: Three hikers got into a storm, one of them was struck by a lightning - and died. The storm complicated the rescue efforts, according to police.
A 18-year-old man died after being struck by lightning on Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2962 meters). The young man was reportedly hiking with two other men from North Rhine-Westphalia to the Zugspitze summit, which is only about 80 meters away from the Bergstation terrace. On the way back, a lightning struck repeatedly and fiercely in the area of the summit.
The 18-year-old man from a community in the Viersen district was reportedly killed by an electric shock. His companions were taken care of by the crisis intervention service. The storm complicated the rescue efforts. A helicopter could not fly, and the Zugspitzbahn could not operate. The rescue operation had to be delayed, as stated - also because multiple lightning strikes occurred in the area of the Bergstation and the summit.
On Sunday, heavy thunderstorms swept across Germany. In the Lower Saxony town of Delmenhorst, another tragic incident occurred, as reported by NDR: A family sought shelter in a park from the storm. A lightning struck the tree under which the family had taken refuge, injuring eight people. A five-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl were revived and taken to hospitals with life-threatening injuries. The mother, her husband, a 2-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old son, and a 31-year-old relative were also taken to hospitals.
The extreme weather conditions in Germany led to another tragic incident in Delmenhorst, where a family seeking shelter from the storm was struck by lightning. Internationally, the unfavorable weather conditions have posed challenges for rescue operations, as seen on Germany's Zugspitze, where lightning strikes hindered the rescue of a hiker who died.
