Three people were killed in the coastal town of Villa Gesell in Argentina when lightning struck the beach. Another 20 people were injured during the storm. The beach is located near the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aries. Reports coming out of the country say that all the victims of the strike were seeking shelter from the storm when the lightning hit. Those who witnessed the event told reporters they heard a “terrible noise.” Witnesses also said they saw people get thrown through the air as a result of being hit by the lightning.
Speaking with the state-run Tealam News Agency, beach goer Rafael Viñuela said, “We were hiding in a tent to take shelter from the storm when we felt an explosion, and then I saw my friend thrown to the ground.” Viñuela ran to his friend’s side and saw that his arm was burned and then rushed to get medical help. “When [doctors] arrived, they told us he had died,” Viñuela said. Another fatality included a 17-year-old boy. The teen was playing soccer on the beach when he was struck by lightning.
The boy died immediately and several members of his family, also on the beach that day were injured. The lighting hit around 5pm local time Thursday evening. Speaking with Tealam a health official said that a total of 22 people were injured among them 16 adults and six children. According to Argentina’s National Weather Service the lightning was caused by a storm with “a great movement of ascending air and water and lots of electrical activity.” In 2013, 23 people in the Unites States were killed after being struck by lightning.
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