AFP, Stockholm

Several people were injured, including one seriously, when lightning struck a tree at an amusement park in southern Sweden yesterday, the park and officials said.

“Today we had a severe thunderstorm over Tosselilla, which led to several lightning strikes directly in the area. This has resulted in a few people being injured,” the Toselilla Sommarland park said in a post to Facebook.

It initially said there were no serious injuries, but local health officials later said a 45-year-old woman was in hospital with “serious injuries”.

Two others were taken to hospital by ambulance, while two adults and five children were seeking treatment. “All with minor injuries,” regional health authority Region Skane said in a statement. Public broadcaster SVT reported that the amusement park had anticipated the storm and made sure no visitors were on the rides.

However, lightning struck a tree on the site, and a group passing nearby was hit by falling debris.

The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) yesterday issued warnings for large parts of southern Sweden as thunderstorms and heavy rain swept across the region.