Huge bang heard across Bolton after lightning hits hospital

Fire crews were called to the hospital shortly before lunchtime following reports of a strike, which left four people with suspected electric shocks and another trapped in a lift.

The incident also caused electrical issues across the hospital site.

After The Bolton News shared details of the incident, readers were quick to comment on the freak weather event.

One reader described the experience from the hospital car park.

They said: “I was stood at the parking ticket machine on the car park opposite the main doors.

“Never saw any lightning, but the colossal bang made me, and folk near me, think there had been an explosion in the hospital.

“Then we got drenched. I’m nearing my 90s and don’t think I have ever heard such bad thunder.”

Many described fearing there had been an explosion at the hospital, with some worrying the building was “collapsing”.

Another person inside the hospital said: “I was there visiting my uncle, the lightning seemed to come straight through the window first, then this almighty bang.

“I have never heard thunder so loud in all my life – I must admit I was frightened.”

A resident from Farnworth added: “I was walking the dog close by, everything was eerily ‘still’ immediately after.”

One reader who had been attending an appointment at the hospital when the strike happened said: “We were in a room with no windows, and knew nothing until we came out.

“The good news was, the car park ticket machines weren’t working as there was no electric, so we didn’t have to pay.”

It was not only those in Farnworth who experienced the unusual weather, as readers in Harwood and Bradshaw also reported hearing “one hell of a bang”.

Shortly after the incident, Rae Wheatcroft, chief operating officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, told The Bolton News: “We can confirm that earlier today a lightning strike at Royal Bolton Hospital caused some electrical issues across the site.

“These have now been largely resolved, with the exception of some communication equipment, for which backup systems are in place.

“A small number of staff affected by the incident are being assessed as a precaution.”

After the incident, the sun returned and conditions appeared calm once again.