Mountain rescuers to aid Tatra casualties

Twenty one specialised mountain rescuers will aid local rescue teams in connection with an exceptionally high lightning casualty count in Poland's southern Tatra Mountains, rescue authorities have said. Earlier, the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue Emergency Service (TOPR) announced that several people had died and about a dozen were injured by lightning caused by heavy storms which hit the mountain range around noon on Thursday. According to the latest reports, three people have been killed and over ten injured. In connection with the current adverse weather conditions in the Tatras, rescuers have appealed to tourists in the area to select safe trekking routes and follow weather forecasts.The casualties are being helicoptered to a hospital in the nearby ski resort of Zakopane and other clinics in the area.