Lightning strike kills man at highest mountain in Germany: Reports

An 18-year-old man died after he was struck by lightning near the summit of Germany's highest peak, officials said.

The German resident and two other young men hiked the mountain railway up the Zugspitze peak Sunday afternoon. The three climbed 260 feet up to the summit from a commonly used terrace when lightning struck, according to German newspaper Bild.

Meteorological records state that about seven lightning bolts hit around the peak at 3:48 p.m. local time Sunday, Bild reported.

Police said the victim suffered a "fatal electric shock," Blid reported. Recovery efforts were stalled by the storm conditions which prevented any mountain rescue helicopters from flying. The two other men unharmed by the incident were eventually rescued and treated.

The Zugspitze stands tall at 2,962 meters, or 9,718 feet, at the Wetterstein Mountains in the Alps on the border between Germany and Austria.

Family of eight struck by lightning that day

Storms occurred in multiple parts of the country on Sunday.

Further north from Zugspitze, a family of eight were also victims of a lightning strike that same day, according to the Associated Press. In Delmenhorst, a town with around 77,000 people, the family was struck after sheltering under a park tree.

All eight were injured in the strike including a five-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl who were hospitalized for life-threatening injuries.