Lightning strikes injure dozens in France, Germany

Lightning strikes on Saturday injured more than 40 in Europe, including children playing at a popular park in Paris and attendees at a children's soccer game in Germany.

In Paris' Park Monceau, a surprise spring storm prompted adults and children attending a birthday party to seek shelter under a tree. Eleven people, including eight children, were injured when lightning struck.

An off-duty fireman rushed to the scene after the strike, and found nine of the 11 prone under the tree, according to Paris fire service spokesman Eric Moulin. Six of the wounded were in serious condition, and four suffered life-threatening injuries.

"Without his actions, it would have been much worse," Moulin said.

In Western Germany, lightning struck a children's soccer match, seriously injuring three adults. The strikes hit shortly after the game finished at about 2 p.m. and seemed to come out of the blue.

"There were no clouds in the sky … so that this incident couldn’t have been expected," police spokesman Dominik Lentz told n-tv television.

Besides the three adults, which included the match's referee, another 32 people including 30 children between the ages of 9 and 11 were taken to the hospital as a precaution, the dpa news agency reported.

Heavy rains delayed by nearly three hours a French Open match that pit Serena Williams against France's Kristina Mladenovic, cutting off power around the grounds. Williams won, advancing to the fourth round.

Lightning strikes the U.S. about 25 million times a year, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, and kills an average of 49 people a year. So far in 2016, there have been five lightning-related deaths in the U.S. Some of the victims were working outside; others were engaged in recreation, including attending a family picnic.

Contributing: Associated Press