Two Roche employees killed as they shelter under tree in hailstorm

In a freak accident on Thursday afternoon, two Roche company employees were killed as they sheltered under trees during a storm.
 
The tragic incident occurred shortly after 4.30 pm when it started to rain heavily and hail. A group of guests on their way to the party on the Buonas peninsula took shelter under a group of trees when one of them crashed down burying several people underneath it.
 
Despite efforts at reanimation by the emergency services of Küssnacht, Lucerne and Zug, one person died on the spot. Another person was flown to hospital but died shortly afterwards. Two other people were injured in the incident and taken to hospital for treatment, though their lives are not at risk.
 
The party, to which 1,000 guests had been invited, had hardly started, but it was immediately cancelled. A care-team from the canton of Zug will be made available for those employees affected by the tragic event. Work at Roche is to continue as normal.
 
According to police spokesman Marcel Schlatter, it is not yet clear why the tree suddenly crashed to the ground, though a lightning strike has not been excluded.