A one-year-old girl has died after being hit by a huge four-inch hail stone during a horror storm in Spain. The toddler was one of 30 people hurt after receiving direct impacts from hail stones in and around the Catalan town of La Bisbal de l'Emporda, on the east coast of the country.
The storm began at around 7.30pm on Tuesday, and the 20-month-old girl suffered the deadly blow a few minutes later.
The young girl was rushed to Hospital in Girona but died a few hours later from her head injuries. The nationality of the toddler, and where exactly she was when she was hit by the hailstones that killed her, are not yet known. The hail storm only lasted around 15 minutes.
Another woman was admitted to the same hospital yesterday (Wednesday) because of the injuries she suffered in the hailstorm.
Most of the other 28 people who needed medical treatment are said to have suffered head injuries or cuts from the ice that needed stitches, as well as broken bones.
Many cars and buildings were also damaged by the tennis ball-size stones, as Catalan weather chiefs said the hailstones that fell in the area, near the tourist city of Girona, were the largest in twenty years.
The Emergency Services have reported that they received more than 40 emergency calls for damage to buildings and to assist people injured by hailstones.
Pictures and videos show the huge hail stones slamming into the ground at speed, often exploding on impact. Streets were littered with ice and shattered glass from vehicles that were struck.
In one video, the stones are seen landing in a swimming pool, causing water to burst into the air. Another video showed the hail landing heavily on grass in a garden.
More storms are expected across eastern Spain and the Canary Islands following severe heatwaves during the summer.
