The
injured - two adult males and two adult females - were
transported to area hospitals with life-threatening injuries,
Vito Maggiolo, a D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson, said.
Lafayette Square, a seven-acre public park that lies directly
north of the White House, is often crowded with visitors,
especially in the summer months. The lightning struck the four
people near a tree that stands yards away from the fence that
surrounds the presidential residence and offices.
Temperatures in Washington exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2
degrees Celsius) on Thursday, although, with the high humidity,
the heat felt like more than 100F, forecasters said. A violent
thunderstorm swept through the capital late in the day.
Officers of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police, which
have a regular presence in the square, went to the assistance of
the victims immediately, Maggiolo said.
(Reporting By Mary Milliken and Frank McGurty; Editing by
Christian Schmollinger and Michael Perry)
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