9 injured in lightning strike at campsite in Germany

Nine people were injured when lightning struck a tent pole at a campsite in southwestern Germany, according to police. One woman was seriously injured.

The incident happened at about 11 p.m. on Friday at a sports ground in Niederbühl, a district of Rastatt in the state of Baden-Württemberg, according to police in Offenburg.

Police said several people were trying to secure tents against strong winds as a thunderstorm approached the area when lightning struck one of the tent poles.

Nine people were injured, including seven who were taken to hospitals, according to police. Six of the lightly injured victims have since been released, while the seriously injured woman, who is in her early 20s, remains hospitalized.

Several children and adults had been camping on the sports field as part of a handball festival, Der Tagesspiegel reported. A police spokesman said one of those injured was a 13-year-old boy.

Police said they are still checking whether other people were involved and whether those at the campsite were caught off guard by the storm.

The lightning strike happened as severe weather moved through parts of Baden-Württemberg. In Münsingen, about 70 miles southeast of Rastatt, a 71-year-old woman was lightly injured when lightning struck near a festival tent at another sports ground, according to Der Tagesspiegel.