15 injured, 2 critically in lightning strike at French festival

On September 3, 2017, local authorities in France reported that a lightning strike at a music festival injured at least 15 people, including children. Two of the victims were left in serious condition.

According to reports at the time, lightning struck several areas of the festival, including a large tent pitched near a tree where attendees had sought shelter. Emergency response efforts on the scene included 60 firefighters, two medical teams, and three patrols of the gendarmerie. Those who were injured received initial first aid at the festival site before they were transported to a hospital.

The BBC reported that the two individuals who suffered serious injuries were a 44-year-old man and a woman in her sixties. The report noted that the general probability of being killed by lightning is 300,000 to one, with an average of three people killed by lightning strikes annually in countries like the United Kingdom.