Four dead and nine injured after lightning in Argentina

Four dead and nine injured after lightning in Argentina

2011-01-13 11:01:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (BNO NEWS) -- Four people were killed on Tuesday and nine other were injured after lightning struck in various areas of Argentina's capital city, the El Clarin newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Lightning struck the Florencio Varela and Lujan areas near Buenos Aires. In one incident, two boys were killed when a group of children was struck as they were playing near a swimming pool.

Witnesses said that the boys had just finished swimming and were looking for their belongings near the trees as they were struck by lightning. Paramedics arrived to the scene but the children, aged 8 and 11, died on their way to the hospital.

Six other children were injured in this incident, only one of them seriously. He was reported to be in critical condition. The other five sustained less severe wounds as they were farther from the spot where the lightning struck.

Another victim was 61-year-old Cesar Nardi, a massage therapist for the Racing football club. He died after lightning struck him during training near Lujan at around 6 p.m. local time.

The team's staff had been considering stopping the practice due to heavy rain before the fatal incident occurred, but decided to continue. Nardi was standing near one of the goalposts when he was affected by the lightning which struck nearby.

Nardi and midfielder Braian Lluy were transported to a local hospital, where the 61-year-old man died shortly after. Lluy was released overnight while another player, goalkeeper Mauro Dobler, suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene.

In addition, a 25-year-old Bolivian national arrived dead at a hospital in southern Buenos Aires. The man was reportedly struck as he was working outdoors despite the storm. His sister, a 22-year-old woman, was injured as well.

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