At least 51 people were injured, eight seriously, when lightning struck the Rock am Ring festival in western Germany early on Saturday. Organisers of the festival, headlined by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Black Sabbath, said lightning hit at 00:30 local time. Police told German media two people had to be resuscitated. Central Europe has been hit by severe storms and rain over the past few weeks, leading to 11 deaths in Germany. The festival also suffered lightning strikes last year, when 33 people were taken to hospital.
33 people were injured after lightning bolts struck the Rock Am Ring festival in Western Germany. The incidents took place at approximately 1:00 am on Saturday morning, an hour after Marilyn Manson's set, Lightning struck the event in the town of Mendig during thunderstorms, and the injured included eight people from the festival's production team when a bolt struck backstage, and this forced the cancellation of German singer Fritz Kalkbrenner's 1.35am performance. The second bolt at 04.00 hit a camping area. Medical staff on site confirmed that no one was struck directly by either of the lightning bolts.
Photo of the lightning strike backstage by Lars Baumeister
