Photo: VCG

Six people were killed and 10 injured after a gazebo was struck by lightning and collapsed in a town in Changzhou city, East China’s Jiangsu Province on Sunday evening. 

According to a statement released by the Jiangsu Changzhou Economic Development Zone on Monday morning, Hengshanqiao township in the economic development zone was hit by severe convective weather on Sunday evening. The strike caused the collapse of a gazebo in Fangmaoshan Park while residents were seeking shelter from a rainstorm. 

Following the incident, multiple departments including the local public security, emergency response, firefighting and health authorities immediately launched an all-out effort in rescuing the injured. 

As of the search and rescue work concluding at 11 pm, a total of 16 people got injured in the incident and were sent to hospital for treatment. Among them, six were severely injured. 

As of 2 am Monday, the six severely injured victims succumbed to their injuries despite extensive rescue efforts. The remaining 10 injured are in stable condition.

Specialized personnel have been arranged to provide support to the injured and the families of the deceased, the statement said. 

According to the statement, the investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and steps are being taken to address the aftermath. Next, a comprehensive inspection of public facilities in the area will be launched to ensure public safety.

Information released by an official government WeChat account shows that the collapsed gazebo has been open to the public since last November and it took two years to build since work began in 2021. 

The incident stirred heated discussions online with some netizens commenting that the victims should have left the park as soon as the thunder began at 6 pm on Sunday evening rather than seeking shelter in the gazebo. 

Other netizens also questioned the quality of the gazebo and wondered why the gazebo’s lightning rod did not take effect, or whether the gazebo had a lightning rod at all.

According to media reports, the installation of lightning rods needs to be comprehensively considered according to different situations. Installing a lightning rod to gazebos in open areas such as mountains, lakes, and seaside locations is generally viewed as a safer choice. And precautions against lightning should be taken if gazebos were built using either metal or wood. Lightning rods can be installed to public constructions in scenic spots or parks in accordance with related regulations. 

The blueprint of the collapsed gazebo should be reviewed to confirm whether the collapsed gazebo had been installed with a lightning rod. 

In response to the incident, an official from the local meteorological bureau said that the incident was uncommon and sporadic, with a relatively low probability of occurrence, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported on Monday. 

The official also denied speculation among the netizens that the residents playing with their mobile phone in the gazebo had caused the structure to be struck by the lightning, adding that these rumors had no scientific basis. 

Global Times