Thunderstorms in France caused more harm on Tuesday afternoon with six British tourists, including two children, struck by lightning while they were out hiking in Vaucluse in southeastern France.
The group of hikers, hailing from England, according to La Provence, included four adults and two children.
The party ran into trouble as they hiked the GR9 — a very well-known pathway in the town of Monieux.
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AFP
Fire and ambulance services quickly took charge of the situation, transporting the hikers to hospital.
The six are still under observation in hospitals in Carpentras and Avignon, but their injuries do not seem serious, La Provence reported.
Staff at the hospital were worried about the various possible consequences of the lightning strikes on the victims, including “cardiac arrest”, one emergency medical professional said.
Medical staff are following the standard procedures for people hit by lightning: “We are verifying that their kidneys are still functioning properly, that they don't have any burns and that their muscles haven't suffered too much,” said the doctor.
The incident took place just one day after a group of eight teenagers were hit by lightning in central France while on a camping trip in the Vienne department, which caused one 15 year-old to go into cardiac arrest.
