Lightning strike kills 1 soldier, injures 9 at US Army base

Washington, July 21

One US Army Reserve soldier died and nine others were injured after a lightning bolt struck a training area at Fort Gordon in the southeastern state of Georgia.

A base spokesperson told US media outlets that the incident occurred at approximately 11:10 a.m. (1510 GMT) on Wednesday when there was bad weather in the area and that the soldiers "sustained injuries associated with a lightning strike at one of their training areas."

The soldiers were taken to a medical centre at the base for treatment, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the spokesperson.

The Fort Gordon's Department of Emergency Services and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene immediately, authorities said.