NEWARK, N.J., July 27 (UPI) -- A New Jersey man struck by lightning that also hurt three other men died Monday after weekend storms pummeled the eastern United States, officials said.
Newark police said the man, whose name wasn't released, was pronounced dead at University Hospital early Monday, hours after he and three others were hit by lightning in a wooded area behind an apartment complex, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported.
A second victim remained in critical condition and the other two suffered burns in the lightning strike, part of a storm that swept across northern New Jersey about 6 p.m. Sunday, producing funnel clouds and quarter-sized hail, the newspaper said.
Also hit hard Sunday was the Baltimore region, where more than 1,000 instances of lightning, hail and heavy rain were recorded. Officials there said storms knocked down trees, and caused power outages and surges, The Baltimore Sun reported.
And in Florida, two AirTran Airways employees were hurt when lightning struck near a ramp they were working on at Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Both were hospitalized but the extent of their injuries and their conditions were unknown Monday.
