Lightning Strike Kills Woman and Injures Another in New South Wales

A lightning bolt struck a tree near Sydney, causing debris to fatally injure a woman and seriously harm another during severe thunderstorms.

The incident occurred at a property in Cawdor, south-west of Sydney, around 5:30 PM on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
Rosanna Hashem, a 43-year-old mother of four, was killed by flying debris when a tree exploded after being struck by lightning.
A second woman in her 40s sustained a partially amputated finger and a broken jaw and remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
The lightning strike was part of a severe thunderstorm system that brought heavy rain, hail, and damaging winds to parts of New South Wales.
Emergency services described the event as a 'freak incident,' with the explosion witnessed by children and leaving the community in shock.