The four adults were found around 7 p.m. (local time) in Lafayette Square park next to the White House, just a few dozen yards from the statue of former President Andrew Jackson. The fact that the victims survived so far is partly due to the rushing American secret service, the spokesperson reports.
What exactly happened is still under investigation by authorities. It is unclear why the people were in the park. The spokesperson advises people not to seek shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm. “That’s a very dangerous place to be,” he says.
‘Whole area shook’
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued in Washington on Thursday evening. A meteorologist confirms to The Washington Post that the park near the White House was struck by a lightning strike. An eyewitness tells the American newspaper that the lightning strike and ensuing blow were “huge.” “The whole area shook, it was literally like a bomb went off,” said the eyewitness.
According to the American newspaper, about 23 people die every year in the United States as a result of a lightning strike.