Lightning kills 3 at Wisconsin bus stop

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Three people at a Madison, Wis., bus stop were killed and two others injured by a live power line brought down near them by a lightning strike.

The accident happened during a heavy rain storm around 4:15 p.m., when lightning struck a power pole, which released the line into several inches of water along the curb, police and power officials said.

The names of the dead weren't immediately released, but the Wisconsin State Journal said they included a woman, her young child and a man who tried to save them.

A witness told police she saw "a heap of bodies" and a fire as their clothes burned, the newspaper said.

Police spokesman Mike Hanson said firefighters on their way to another call saw the victims and stopped,but were unable to get close until utility crews shut off power to the live wire.

More than 2 inches of rain fell on the city within an hour, the report said.

The power cut affected about 1,800 homes and lasted about an hour, officials said.