At least ten people were injured after a lightning strike hit a handball competition in southern Germany on Friday evening. The incident occurred in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, where 120 teams had gathered for the event. Among the injured were eight adults and a 13-year-old child, with one person suffering severe injuries while others sustained minor harm.
Storm Chaos at Sports Ground
The freak weather event unfolded as participants attempted to secure tents that were in danger of blowing away at the sports ground, which was being used as a campsite. The lightning strike was part of a broader severe storm that swept through the region, causing widespread disruption.
In a separate incident in Münsingen-Dottingen, a 71-year-old woman was injured by a lightning strike at a sports ground. She was preparing food in a marquee when the storm suddenly hit and was taken to hospital for treatment after suffering an electric shock.
Power Outages and Official Response
The extreme weather left large parts of Rastatt without power for up to 90 minutes on Friday. Cem Özdemir, minister-president of Baden-Württemberg, stated that thousands of people had been 'severely impacted' by the storm, with hospitals and businesses disrupted. He wrote on X: 'Our solidarity goes out to all those affected. All competent authorities are working at full throttle to restore supplies as quickly as possible and to keep the consequences for the population, healthcare system, and economy as minimal as possible.' Despite the outage, the power substation remained undamaged, according to Euronews.
Further Storms and Heatwave Forecast
The German Weather Service (DWD) reported that further storms were expected to hit the area on Saturday, with the state likely to exceed its temperature record for June. Other regions, including Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Berlin, and Brandenburg, were also expected to experience intense heat. Images from Berlin showed heavy rain and cars stuck in the Gleim Tunnel between the neighborhoods of Wedding and Prenzlauer Berg.
