Lightning strike kills 3 hikers in Austrian Alps

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three hikers were found dead on Monday in the Austrian Alps after having been apparently struck by lightning.

The trio of local hikers – including a married couple, both age 60, and the woman's 62--year-old brother – were found dead on Sunday near the 2,635-meter (8,645-foot) Mount Damülser Mittagsspitze located in the Tryol region of the western Austrian Alps, according to the Austrian News Agency (APA).

The hikers were reportedly fatally injured after having been struck by lightning as they were descending the mountain due to a sudden change in the weather.

After their relatives reported them missing, they were found by emergency services at an altitude of approximately 2,270 meters (7,447 feet).