The myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice has been well and truly disproved at one music festival in Germany.
ADVERTISEMENTThe myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice has been well and truly disproved at one music festival in Germany.
In 2015, more than 30 Rock am Ring fans were hospitalised after two bolts struck the site.
Fast forward one year and the same festival near the western town of Mendig was briefly suspended after at least 72 people were injured in a lightning storm.
Due to instructions of the Mendig authorities we were ordered to suspend the festival for the moment being: https://t.co/qVh77DjuwP#rar2016
— Rock-am-Ring (@rockamring) June 4, 2016
According to the German Red Cross, those taken to hospital suffered electric shocks, injuries from flying debris and serious asthma attacks.
It took many festival-attendees by surprise.
“It was pretty violent. It happened so fast,” said one man. “To the right, we could see lightning, then thunder two seconds later, then it was over, then 20 metres away lightning struck. It was bad.”
“Just as it happened I thought, it can’t be that bad or really so terrible,” another woman added. “And when I heard the news later, I was in panic, you don’t think at first that there’s any real danger.”
The approach of thunderstorms after the lightning saw the sell-out event halted for around five hours and some 92,500 festival-goers were urged to seek shelter in cars and tents.
Up to 16 people have died in severe storms and heavy flooding across Germany, France and Belgium in recent weeks.