Zurich storm: 16-year-old dies after being hit by falling branch
A 16-year-old girl struck by a branch during severe thunderstorms in Zurich on Friday night has died in hospital, city authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Fatal incident
A 16-year-old girl was hit by a falling branch on Feldeggstrasse 4 in Zurich's Kreis 8 district during the storm. She was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Schutz & Rettung Zürich, the city's rescue service, confirmed on Sunday that she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday.
The exact circumstances of the accident and the cause of death are being investigated by the Zurich city police, the Institute of Forensic Medicine, and the responsible public prosecutor's office.
Storm and emergency response
The storms that swept through Switzerland overnight on Friday into Saturday brought over 15,000 recorded lightning strikes nationwide, according to SRF Meteo. In Zurich city alone, the rescue service handled around 270 missions. The emergency call centre registered 730 fire brigade calls and 130 medical emergency calls during the period. Across the entire canton of Zurich, 680 fire brigade operations were triggered.
- City fire brigade calls
- 730
- City medical emergency calls
- 130
- Canton fire brigade operations
- 680
Injuries and ongoing investigation
City authorities reported that several other people were injured in the storm. The investigation into the teenager's death remains ongoing, with authorities working to determine the precise sequence of events.
