Chelsea fans in Rome caught up in massive thunderstorm that kills one and turns roads into rivers
By Nick Pisa Last updated at 6:11 PM on 04th November 2008
Chelsea supporters were last night caught up in a massive thunderstorm that hit Rome and left a 13-year-old boy dead.
The Blues fans were in the Italian capital for a Champions League clash against Roma and many were on their way to the stadium when the torrential downpour began.
Within minutes roads had turned to rivers as drains were unable to cope and the blackened sky was lit up with a spectacular series of lightning.
One fan said: 'We thought we would get a bit of sun in Italy after the awful summer we had in England.
'I've never seen anything like this - it's absolutely torrential and the lightning is amazing.'
Police said the boy was killed after a tree under which he was sheltering during the storm in the south-east of the city was struck by lightning.
He was hit by a branch and although paramedics were quickly on the scene and rushed him to the nearby Vannini Hospital he died shortly after arriving.
A Rome fire brigade spokesman said that they had dealt with more than 400 calls in less than an hour as the storm struck just before 5pm.
Elsewhere across the city there was a spate of minor injuries after people were hit by flying debris whipped into the air by the strong wind.
By Nick Pisa Last updated at 6:11 PM on 04th November 2008
Chelsea supporters were last night caught up in a massive thunderstorm that hit Rome and left a 13-year-old boy dead.
The Blues fans were in the Italian capital for a Champions League clash against Roma and many were on their way to the stadium when the torrential downpour began.
Within minutes roads had turned to rivers as drains were unable to cope and the blackened sky was lit up with a spectacular series of lightning.
One fan said: 'We thought we would get a bit of sun in Italy after the awful summer we had in England.
'I've never seen anything like this - it's absolutely torrential and the lightning is amazing.'
Police said the boy was killed after a tree under which he was sheltering during the storm in the south-east of the city was struck by lightning.
He was hit by a branch and although paramedics were quickly on the scene and rushed him to the nearby Vannini Hospital he died shortly after arriving.
A Rome fire brigade spokesman said that they had dealt with more than 400 calls in less than an hour as the storm struck just before 5pm.
Elsewhere across the city there was a spate of minor injuries after people were hit by flying debris whipped into the air by the strong wind.
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