Two people died and two others were seriously injured after being struck by lightning near the White House on Thursday night in Washington, local police confirmed to AFP on Friday.
“Two people were pronounced dead after being struck by lightning in Lafayette Square,” just yards from the White House gates, police said.
They are a couple from rural Wisconsin, James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, authorities said. The other two victims remain “in critical condition,” according to police.
The “sad” White House
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased in a statement on Friday, expressing “her prayers for those still fighting for their lives.”
“We are saddened by the tragic loss of life following a lightning strike in Lafayette Park. Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones and we pray for those who are still fighting for their lives,” he tweeted.
a very rare occurrence
Lightning struck the public park bordering the US president’s residence on Thursday a few minutes before 7:00 p.m. local time. Photos released by firefighters showed dozens of rescue vehicles in the tree-covered plaza as a storm continued to batter Washington.
The probability of being struck by lightning is 1 in 1 million, according to data from US health authorities. “As soon as there is lightning, you have to take shelter in a safe place. Trees, of course, are not safe places,” recalled the spokesman for the Washington fire department, Vito Maggiolo, questioned by local media.
Source: BFM TV
