Washington – Three people have died from the impact of lightning near the White Houseincluding a couple who had traveled to the US capital to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversaryreported this Friday the municipal police.
Lightning struck Thursday during a sudden summer thunderstorm near the statue of seventh US President Andrew Jackson.which is located in Lafayette Park, just north of the White House.
As a result of the lightning strike, four people (two men and two women) were seriously injured, the spokesman for the fire department of the US capital, Vito Maggiolo, explained Thursday night at a press conference.
The four are believed to have been sheltering from the rain under trees when lightning struck, according to Maggiolo.
They were so close to the White House that the first to give them medical assistance were the agents patrolling the park and members of the Secret Servicewho are in charge of guarding the presidential mansion.
All four were taken to hospital Thursday in critical condition. On Friday afternoon, Washington municipal police confirmed the death of a 29-year-old man whose identity has not been released out of respect for the family, which is being notified of the death.
Police also reported the deaths Friday morning of a neighboring couple from Janesville, Wisconsin, 76-year-old James Mueller and his 75-year-old wife, Donna.
The couple met when they were in high school and had traveled to the US capital to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary, according to the local Fox News network in Washington.
They were almost retired: James Mueller had his own business, and Donna had been a teacher, though now she was working in a furniture store in Janesville.
They had five children, ten grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, according to Fox News.
In a statement, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed “sadness” at the “tragic” deaths.
“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones and we pray for those who are still fighting for their lives,” the spokeswoman said.
The person who is still hospitalized for lightning injuries is a woman, but her identity is unknown.
On his website, the National Weather Service (SNM) warns that lightning often strikes tall objects, so it is not advisable to take shelter under a tree during a storm.
On average, about 23 people a year die from lightning strikes in the United States, according to the National Lightning Safety Council, a group created to educate about lightning.
According to that organization, the three deaths this Friday in Washington are the first caused by lightning since 1991, when a teenager died and ten other people were injured.