Four people were in critical condition Thursday night after apparently being struck by lightning in a park just north of the White House, officials said.
Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said that around 6:50 p.m., two men and two women were in Lafayette Square, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, when lightning struck in their “immediate vicinity.” . ”
United States Secret Service agents and park police officers were nearby and immediately assisted in providing assistance, Maggiolo said. The four were taken to nearby hospitals.
“The ability to provide immediate life-saving care is critical to the outcome,” said Mr. Maggiolo.
The four were apparently standing near trees in the seven-acre park when lightning struck, he said.
