Outdoor enthusiast
0
47 years, Australia
Daily Mountain
Five people, including two children, have been killed after lightning strikes in the Tatra mountains in Poland and neighbouring Slovakia.
Another 100 people were hurt, some seriously with severe burns or head injuries, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
A witness told local media that the thunderstorm came suddenly, with the day beginning with clear weather.
"Nobody expected such a sudden storm to break out and from our human point of view it was something which was impossible to predict," said Mr Morawiecki.
Leszek Dorula, the mayor of Zakopane - a town at the base of the mountains in Poland - declared Friday as a day of mourning.
The Tatra range sits on Poland's southern border with Slovakia.
The lightning hit a group of tourists on Giewont, a 1,894-metre high mountain in Poland.
Climbers of the mountain often aim to end their trip at the summit, where an iron cross from 1901 sits. The cross is believed to conduct lightning.
by David Chipakupaku, news reporter
This article first appeared on http://news.sky.com. The original can be read here.
Classic mountaineering ice axe
Location: Italy, Milan, Lombardy, Metropolitan City of Milan, Milan
Welcome to the new and improved Mountain Planet.com! Great and exciting features are here to help you find your next adventure!
Connect via:
Enter your email address and we'll help you reset your password
Don't have an account? Please Sign Up
We use cookies to enhance your visit to our site.