Incubating eggs

Kestrels struck by lightning on St. Mary’s Cathedral

Three kestrels, similar to this one with its young on the symbolic picture above, did not survive the lightning strike in Austria's largest church.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg/Linz in der Luft, Adlerarena Burg Landskron)

When a violent thunderstorm with heavy rain descended on Linz on June 3, a deafening bang was suddenly heard in the city center. At the time, many people - especially on social media - wondered what it could have been. The "Krone" now has the answer ...

As has now been revealed, lightning did indeed strike St. Mary's Cathedral. Despite the lightning conductor, the impact on Austria's largest church was so massive that several electronic components were severely damaged. These included the lift and the alarm system, as well as the bell and clock controls.

"Never experienced before in the last 20 years"
Cathedral master Clemens Pichler asked the Krone whether this had happened before: "I can't remember experiencing anything like this in the last 20 years." Above all, however, he is glad that no one was injured in the accident. Even if this only refers to human life, it makes the cathedral master all the sadder when you look at the animal tragedy.

One swift, three kestrels
Four birds were killed. One swift and three of a total of four kestrels, which have their nest on the Mariendom and incubate their eggs there, were killed by the lightning strike.