A bolt of lightning killed 11 cattle who took shelter under a tree during a storm in southern Germany, AP reported. The cattle had been out to pasture when a severe storm came up near the southwestern town of Freiburg and deluged the area with rain and hail Wednesday night. The animals were pressed together under a tree when the lightning splintered the trunk and sent a bolt of electricity into the ground that killed the animals, police said. The loss of the livestock was estimated at ¤50,000 (US$77,945). Two of the herd survived the lightning strike. No injuries to people were reported, although the storm flooded basements and uprooted trees.
