Lightning strike sparks fire at Tampere Orthodox Church

Lightning struck the tallest tower of Tampere Orthodox Church on Saturday afternoon, starting a fire inside the bell tower while a joint baptism and wedding ceremony was taking place inside the protected church in central Tampere. The strike hit the church shortly after 5pm during a thunderstorm. According to the Pirkanmaa Rescue Department and the Tampere Orthodox Parish, the lightning ignited wooden structures inside the upper section of the tower.