Thirty-three horses were found dead after being struck down by a devastating lightning storm.
Harrowing footage shows how their lifeless bodies were strewn across a clearing on a hillside.
The horror unfolded in a remote spot, over an hour’s walk from the nearest road.
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The lightning storm was so violent that it caused a long power outage in the nearest town.
The horses – both adults and foals – are thought to have taken shelter under beech trees as the tempest rolled in.
Little did they know, this sealed their fate, as reported by Need To Know.
As well as the herd, some birds of prey – likely griffon vultures – were among the carcasses.
Forestry police and local health authority vets inspected the scene on Monday (19 May) morning.
Police in Casalattico – south-east of Rome, Italy – confirmed there were no signs of poisoning or gunshot wounds.
The animals’ burnt legs suggest that rainwater on the ground carried the deadly electric shocks.
The herd’s owner is a breeder from nearby Colle San Magno.
Casalattico mayor Francesco Di Lucia said: “Sadly, this was a catastrophe caused by nature itself.
“It’s at least some small comfort that human cruelty has been ruled out.”
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