At least 14 killed as storms batter northern Europe
Pakistan Times Monitoring Desk

CRLISLE (UK): At least 14 people died, more than 1,000 homes were flooded and many more left without power after violent storms battered northern Europe over the weekend, bringing hurricane force winds and heavy rain.

Denmark, Sweden and the British Isles were worst affected, with 100 people forced to spend the night on a ferry after it ran aground Saturday in southwest Scotland, while the crew of a Dutch freighter had to be rescued after they issued a mayday call off the Danish coast.

3 Dead in Britain

In Britain three people were found dead in the flood-ravaged area around the city of Carlisle in northwest England, where one of the worst storms for decades brought flooding and high winds, police said.

At least 11 people were in Denmark and Sweden after the storms, which left 405,000 households without power, disrupted road and rail traffic and caused heavy damage.

Helicopters in Action

In Carlisle, some people had to be rescued by helicopter from the roof of their houses surrounded by floodwater and cars were seen floating down streets.

The bodies of two elderly women were found in homes in Carlisle, while a 63-year-old man was killed when a barn blew down in an area towards the Scottish border.

Fifteen families had to be airlifted to safety while thousands of other people left their homes on their own initiative, police said.●