Violent storms lash France

2003-08-29 12:11

Belfort, France - Storms and strong winds lashed eastern France and Switzerland overnight, provoking blackouts and property damage but no serious injuries, authorities said on Friday.

Lightning strikes caused several fires, including one that burnt a house in the French Alps to the ground, while the gusts tore the roof off an airport in Chambery in a nearby region.

Firemen were called out more than 2 000 times to handle flooded cellars and damaged roofs, but they said the injuries they tended to were minor.

Power stations in the Alps were damaged by fallen trees, cutting electricity to more than 60 000 homes, and a broken high-voltage cable stalled train services in southeast France.

In the town of Belfort, suspected lightning caused a municipal alarm system to malfunction, sending many residents into a panic when they heard the siren signalling a major catastrophe.

In Switzerland, officials said they were evaluating the damage caused, and said electricity supplies also caused blackouts and trees crushed several cars. They had no reports of injuries.

A storm warning remained in place to early on Saturday.

- AFP