One runner died and another was seriously injured by lightning early on Sunday morning during an endurance race on Mt. Falakro in northern Greece’s region of Drama.
The race was organized by the mountain climbing association of Nevrokopi. It began at 7 pm on Saturday at Pyrgi in Prosotsani which lies at the feet of Mt. Falakro.
The Six Peaks night race involved fifty-five runners from Greece who had to cover 36.7 km through the six highest peaks of the mountain within twelve hours and end at the Ski Center refuge. The weather was favorable when they started out but it changed around 4 pm with torrential rain and lightning.
Runner hit by lightning was near the finishing line
Deputy Regional Director of Drama Region Grigoris Papaemmanouil told Athens-Macedonian News Agency that some of the runners had already concluded the race and some had stopped, but the group that was struck by lightning was near the finish line.
Fourteen firefighters with five trucks were involved in the two men’s evacuation. One man, 55, had lost consciousness and the other, 56, was seriously injured.
They were both transported by helicopter to Chryssoupoli and to Kavala Hospital from there. The 55-year-old was confirmed dead at the hospital.
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