Lightning strikes hospitalise 71 at German festival

An archive photo of a lightning strike. Credit: Florian Gaertner / DPA / PA

Lightning strikes have hospitalised 71 people at a rock festival in Germany.

The festival, held at a former airfield near Mendig in western Germany, about 62 miles west of Frankfurt, is one of the most popular in the country.

Performers this year include Tenacious D, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Sabbath.

A number of those hospitalised have been discharged again.

– Mayen police spokesman Lars Brummer

Germany, along with France and Belgium, has been hit by severe storms and heavy flooding in recent days.

Last updated Sat 4 Jun 2016