News   /   EU

At least four killed, flights suspended as storm lashes Europe

Firefighters work on a car after a tree fell on it, heavily injuring the driver on January 18, 2018 on a road near Moers, western Germany. (Photo by AFP)

Violent gales have battered northern Europe, snapping air and train links and leaving four people dead, all killed by falling trees.

The Netherlands bore the brunt of the severe winter storms -- the second this month -- as bitter winds barreled off the North Sea to hit the low-lying country with full force.

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, one of the continent's busiest travel hubs, was forced to briefly cancel all flights as winds gusted up to 140 kilometers (86 miles) an hour in some areas.

"Due to severe weather conditions: all air traffic has been suspended until further notice," Schiphol airport said in a tweet on Thursday. Departures and arrivals gradually began resuming about two hours later.

But the airport also had to close the entrances to two of its three departure halls when some roof tiles were whipped off the terminal building.

As the national weather service raised its warning to the highest code red level, a 62-year-old man was killed in the central Dutch town of Olst by a falling branch.

The accident happened when he got out of his truck to move a branch blocking the road, Dutch police said.

A second Dutchman, also 62, was killed in the eastern Enschede when a tree toppled onto his car, the Dutch news agency ANP said.

In neighboring Belgium, a woman driver also reportedly died when her car was crushed by a tree as she was travelling through a wood in the Grez-Doiceau area, about 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of Brussels.

Four people were also injured in Antwerp, including one woman who was seriously hurt after being hit in the head by flying metal debris, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

And a 59-year-old man was killed instantly in Germany when a tree fell on him in North Rhine-Westphalia state, police said.

An uprooted tree lays on the rails in Muenster, northwestern Germany, on January 18, 2018, as many parts of the country are hit by cyclone "Friederike". (Photo by AFP)

The Dutch national railway company, NS, announced that "due to the storm all trains are halted until further notice" apart from a small local service in northern Groningen and southern Limburg.

Thalys, the high-speed train service, suspended services to the Netherlands and Germany until at least 1300 GMT.

One Thalys train heading to the Netherlands from Brussels was stopped at Antwerp and all the passengers told to disembark and wait for at least two hours, an AFP reporter on board said.

The high winds were expected to decrease by later in the afternoon, but Dutch officials had closed to all traffic several more-exposed roads and bridges crossing different dykes.

(Source: AFP)


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku