Severe weather in Germany: Girl hit by car after lightning

Berlin, June 5

Authorities issued severe weather warnings Saturday for parts of Western Germany, a day after a man was killed, and a 12-year-old girl was seriously injured in separate storm-related incidents.

The German news agency dpa reported that lightning struck the ground close to where the girl was cycling, causing her to fall off her bike onto the road, where she was hit by a car late Friday. Dpa quoted the Duesseldorf fire service as saying she was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries.

In a separate incident, one man died and three were hospitalised Friday after torrential rain flooded a tunnel in the southern city of Stuttgart, toppling scaffolding that several construction workers were standing on.

Firefighters across Western Germany were called to thousands of incidents, including several landslides.

The national weather service DWD said further storms were expected across central Germany on Saturday, with heavy rain and hail possible. — AP