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A man died during football training in Pas-de-Calais on May 23, 2024, struck by lightning.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS – Lightning killed one person and seriously injured another when it fell on a football field during training this Thursday, May 23 in the evening in Courrières, near Lens (Pas-de-Calais), the prefecture announced.
One man died, another “suffering from chest pain was transported to the hospital in a state of absolute emergency”details the prefecture in a press release, specifying that this assessment is likely to evolve.
The deceased man is believed to be 33 years old and was the football coach, reports The voice of the North. The same source mentions two people with chest pain, aged 44 and 25. They were taken to hospital in serious condition. Four men were also slightly injured.
Around thirty people involved
Around thirty other people involved in this episode are “shocked but unhurt”. Firefighters, emergency services and law enforcement were deployed on site.
“A lightning strike struck this evening around 8 p.m. on the Gabriel Péri stadium located in Courrières, while football training was in progress”explains the press release.
Pas-de-Calais was classified Thursday evening on yellow alert for thunderstorms by Météo-France, like three-quarters of France. Since November, Pas-de-Calais has been hit by a series of historic floods, which have left thousands of residents affected.
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