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One Killed In Lightning Strike That Injures Five In Poughkeepsie Park

This story has been updated.

A bench at Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie near the tree that was hit Friday afternoon by a lightning strike that killed one man and injured four other people.

A bench at Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie near the tree that was hit Friday afternoon by a lightning strike that killed one man and injured four other people.

Photo Credit: WABC 7 screen grab

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- One of the five people injured in a lightning strike late Friday afternoon at Mansion Square Park has died, authorities said Saturday morning.

The person who died is a 50-year-old man whose name has not yet been released.

The lightning strike, which occurred just before 4:30 p.m., reportedly hit a tree, sending electric volts through benches and the ground in the immediate area.

Those injured by the strike were between the ages of 46 to 55 years old and in a group sitting or standing together near a park bench on the north side of the park.

When rescue units arrived, they found a total of five people injured. Three were unresponsive, two were conscious, but injured, City of Poughkeepsie Detective Lt. Matt Clark said.

The two conscious victims were taken to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital, where they are now recovering. CPR was started on the three unresponsive men before they were rushed to Vassar Brothers Medical Center. For the update on those two critically injured victims, check this Daily Voice report by clicking here.

Two eyewitnesses report seeing a bolt of lightning strike near the group and saw articles near the people burning and smoking, Clark said.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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