Three people died and another was seriously injured after being struck by lightning in front of the White House on Thursday night in Washington, police confirmed to AFP on Friday. “Two people were pronounced dead after being struck by lightning in Lafayette Square”a few meters from the White House gates, police said Friday morning.
A fourth person in critical condition
They are a couple from rural Wisconsin, James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, authorities said. They were on a trip to the US capital to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary, their niece told the local daily Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The death of a third victim, a 29-year-old man, was confirmed Friday afternoon by the police. The fourth person was staying Friday morning “in critical condition” according to the police.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed her condolences to the families of those who died in a statement on Friday and expressed “his prayers for those who are still fighting for their lives”. Lightning struck Thursday in the public park which borders the residence of the American president a few minutes before 7:00 p.m. (23:00 GMT). Photos released by firefighters showed scores of rescue vehicles in the tree-strewn square as a storm continued to batter Washington.
Read alsoLightning seriously injures four outside the White House
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 refuge in a safe place. Trees, of course, are not safe places.recalled the spokesman for the firefighters of Washington, Vito Maggiolo, questioned by a local media.
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