Lightning kills 3 in Bulgaria's capital

SOFIA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and another three injured by lightning in a park in the center of the capital of Bulgaria on Tuesday afternoon, the country's Interior Ministry said.

The ministry's press office told Xinhua that the emergency services were alerted to the lightning strike at 6:17 p.m. local time (1617 GMT).

The ministry did not provide details about the identity of the deceased.

One of the injured, a Syrian citizen, was taken to the Pirogov Emergency Hospital.

According to unconfirmed sources quoted by Bulgarian National Television (BNT), the three people killed were also Syrian citizens aged between 20 and 30 years. They were standing under a large tree when the lightning struck, BNT said.