Peach pickers hit by lightning in S.C.

SPARTANBURG, S.C., July 30 (UPI) -- A group of peach pickers was hit by lightning as severe thunderstorms rolled across upland South Carolina.

At least six of the pickers were treated at a Spartanburg, S.C., hospital for minor injuries, WYFF-TV in Greenville (S.C.) reported. They were among 30 men working in an orchard near Spartanburg when the storm hit just after 6 p.m. Tuesday.

While the pickers hurried to shelter in a van, a lighting bolt hit the ground nearby.

Lightning also hit the roof of a house in Fountain Inn, setting it on fire. Neighbors said that the couple who lived there did not realize their house was ablaze until someone alerted them.

In Marietta, S.C., a gust of wind blew the roof off a Texaco convenience store. The wind also blew down nearby trees.