Lightning strike on Poland's Giewont mountain prompts new heart injury research

On 22 August 2019 a high‑intensity lightning bolt (≈153 kA) struck the summit of Giewont in the Tatra Mountains, affecting 131 people and killing four, including two children. During rescue operations two additional weaker strikes hit the peak.

A research team led by Dr Sylweriusz Kosiński collected data from more than 100 victims, creating a unique worldwide cohort. Their findings, published in July in *Communications Medicine*, show that 46 % of patients tested for cardiac enzymes had elevated high‑sensitivity troponin, indicating heart‑muscle damage, while ECG abnormalities were rare. The study outlines three types of lightning injury—direct strike, side flash, and ground‑current (step‑potential)—and stresses the need for standardized emergency procedures.

The investigators emphasize that “we must have protocols and response patterns” to better manage future mass lightning incidents and improve cardiac outcome monitoring.