London: Lightning never strikes twice? Try telling that to hospital emergency departments.
Seventy-five people in one year were admitted to hospital after being hit by lightning, according to NHS accident figures.
A list of other unusual hospital cases include 460 admissions across the country for injuries sustained while using a powered lawn mower.
There were 1,120 people who required treatment after being stung by wasps, bees or hornets, and 24 for rat bites. Injuries sustained in ‘cataclysmic storms' saw 30 seek treatment.
The figures come from the Hospital Episode Statistics inpatient data for the year to April 2010. They also revealed that four people required ‘a prolonged stay in a weightless environment' — but the nature of their condition was not divulged.
There were 3,680 injured riders or passengers on animal-drawn vehicles and 6,420 who fell off, or tripped over a ladder. Four people were admitted for exposure to noise.
The ice and snow also took its toll, with 18,570 patients admitted after winter falls. Nature also accounted for 1,420 who fell out of trees and a further 310 injuries from contact with plant thorns, spines and sharp leaves.
