Four persons who were struck by lightning outside the White House in Washington DC are battling for their lives.
Two men and two women were taken to a nearby hospital following the incident at Lafayette Park.
US Secret Service personnel, as well as US Park Police, arrived swiftly on the scene following the lightning strike to administer medical attention to the victims before they were taken to the hospital.
Footage shared across social media showed a large emergency services presence along the main road, which separates the White House from the park.
A tweet from the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department confirmed they were in the process of treating and transporting four patients, all in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
The tweet read: "#DCsBravest transported 2 adult males & 2 adult females to area hospitals. All had critical life threatening injuries."