By ASHLEY NICKEL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 01:34 GMT, 9 February 2025 | Updated: 02:01 GMT, 9 February 2025

The woman who tragically died after a freak lightning strike caused a tree to shatter in Sydney’s southwest has been identified. 

Rosanna Hashem, aged in her 40s, was fatally struck when lightning hit her property on Old Razorback Rd in Cawdor around 5.30pm on Saturday.

At the time, she was sitting in her backyard when the tragic incident occurred, with several children witnessing. 

She had been pierced by wood shrapnel when the lightning caused a tree to explode near where she had been sitting.

A friend was talking on her phone when it exploded in her hand due to the power surge caused by the lightning, partially amputating her finger and fracturing her jaw.

She is recovering at Liverpool Hospital, where she is in stable condition.

‘Both women had been seated about six metres from a large tree, and this had been struck by a lightning bolt, which literally caused the tree to explode, sending debris all over the place,’ NSW Ambulance Inspector David Kynaston said. 

‘This is a very traumatic and tragic incident for family involved but also very confronting for emergency services who attended, both in the knowledge that young children had witnessed the incident but also the injuries sustained by the patients.’

Rosanna Hashem was fatally struck when lightning hit her property on Old Razorback Rd in Cawdor around 5.30pm on Saturday

A tree exploded as it was struck by lightning, killing a woman nearby and injuring another

A tree exploded as it was struck by lightning, killing a woman nearby and injuring another

 Ms Hashem was the owner of The Groomery Cat Grooming Services, a business based at her home where the accident happened.

Neighbour Rob Campisi said the freak storm came out of nowhere and was unlike anything he had experienced in the ten years he had lived in the area. 

‘It just started to rain and then all of a sudden just the loudest bang we’ve ever heard,’ Mr Campisi told the Daily Telegraph.

‘The power went out and (I was) in the shed and … I looked outside and saw a big cloud of smoke.’

Mr Campisi said  that the weather conditions didn’t seem bad enough to require staying inside.

‘Sometimes you just don’t know when it’s your time.’ 

NSW Ambulance Inspector David Kynaston called the incident traumatic for the family and confronting for emergency responders, with young children witnessing

NSW Ambulance Inspector David Kynaston called the incident traumatic for the family and confronting for emergency responders, with young children witnessing

Neighbour Rob Campisi said the weather didn’t seem severe enough to warrant staying inside

Neighbour Rob Campisi said the weather didn’t seem severe enough to warrant staying inside

Ms Hashem was the owner of The Groomery Cat Grooming Services, which was based at her Cawdor home, where the tragic lightning strike occurred.

Ms Hashem was the owner of The Groomery Cat Grooming Services, which was based at her Cawdor home, where the tragic lightning strike occurred.

:
Rosanna Hashem killed by freak lightning strike in Sydney

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk