By Zoe Richards -
NBC News
Four people remain in critical condition after an apparent lightning strike in a park opposite the White House, according to local firefighters and emergency services.
A spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, Vito Maggiolo, said agency personnel found the victims with
"critical, life-threatening" injuries
in Lafayette Square shortly before 7 p.m. (local time).
The unidentified individuals - two adult men and two women - were taken to area hospitals in critical condition, Maggiolo added.
Emergency personnel treat people injured after an apparent lightning strike in Lafayette Park in Washington DC on August 4, 2022.@dcfireems via NBC News
Uniformed Secret Service and US Park Police officers witnessed the lightning strike and began treating victims before the arrival of firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Authorities said it was not clear if the individuals were related.
[Video of lightning striking a boat rescued by the Coast Guard near Florida]
NBC News has contacted the White House, the National Park Service and the Secret Service for comment.
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Shortly before authorities responded to the incident, the National Weather Service had issued a "severe storm warning" warning that potential hail and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour could hit Washington DC.
Lafayette Square is north of the White House and is frequented by tourists and protesters, as well as workers from nearby private and government buildings.
The park was the site of a racial justice protest that was violently evicted by federal police officers in June 2020.