BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A strong storm killed eight people and injured at least 67 in western Romania on Sunday as winds of up to 100 kph (over 60 mph) also brought destruction to parts of Serbia and Croatia, officials said.

The area surrounding a fallen tree is cordoned off following a storm that tore through western Romania, in Timisoara, Romania September 17, 2017. Inquam Photos/Cornel Putan Alin/via REUTERS

Road and rail traffic in parts of Romania was halted by fallen trees. Several hospitals, schools and apartment buildings had roofs damaged and dozens of towns and villages were left without electricity.

Some of the casualties were people strolling outside or coming out of supermarkets, the emergency services said. A group of tourists was stranded for an hour in a chairlift in the northern county of Maramures.

In Serbia, a man went missing on his boat on the Danube river near Belgrade and six people, including a five-year-old child, were injured by falling trees. Arcing from power lines, caused by the high winds, triggered several wildfires.

In Croatia, flooding brought traffic to a standstill in several coastal towns.

“We can’t fight the weather,” Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. “The entire medical sector is focused on the injured.”

He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.

Nicolae Robu, mayor of the Romanian city of Timisoara spoke to local TV station Digi24 as he was surveying the scene outside.

“There are dozens of trees on the ground, roads blocked, we are out of electricity and water. There are roofs torn off houses, apartment buildings. There are overturned trucks. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Romania’s national weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas.

Emergency responders have urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.</s>BUCHAREST, Romania — Authorities say five people have died and at least 30 were injured during a violent storm in western Romania that produced winds of up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour.

Elena Megherea, a General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations spokeswoman in Timis County, said one of the two people who died in the city of Timisoara was hit by a billboard.

Two more people died in the western town of Buzias. No details were available about their deaths.

Elena Tarla, an Emergency Situations spokeswoman for Caras-Severin County, says the storm ripped out trees and downed power lines. She says many homes are without electricity.

Officials warned residents to stay at home or take shelter, to remove appliances from sockets, and to stay away from power transmission towers.</s>BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Six people died and at least 30 were injured during a violent storm Sunday in western Romania that produced winds of up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) an hour, authorities said.

One person died in the city of Timisoara after he was hit by a billboard, while a woman was killed by a falling tree, Elena Megherea, a General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations spokeswoman in Timis County, said.

Two more people, one of whom was hit by a tree, died in the western town of Buzias. After the storm moved north, a 50-year-old man died in the northwest city of Bistrita after he was hit by a branch during a walk in the park, emergency situation officials said.

Timisoara Mayor Nicolae Robu said the storm tore off roofs and overturned trucks.

Elena Tarla, an Emergency Situations spokeswoman for Caras-Severin County, says the storm ripped out trees and downed power lines. She says many homes were without electricity.

Mihai Grecu, head of the emergency department at Timis County Hospital, told national news agency Agerpres that 30 people were receiving treatment for injuries from flying objects.

Officials warned residents to stay at home or take shelter, to remove appliances from sockets, and to stay away from power transmission towers.</s>BUCHAREST, Romania — A violent storm in Romania that produced winds of up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour left at least eight people dead and dozens more injured Sunday, authorities said.

Among the earliest reported deaths was a man who died in the city of Timisoara after he was hit by a billboard, while a woman was killed by a falling tree, Elena Megherea, a General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations spokeswoman in Timis County, said.

Two more people, one of whom was hit by a tree, died in the western town of Buzias. After the storm moved north, a 50-year-old man died in the northwest city of Bistrita after he was hit by a branch during a walk in the park, emergency situation officials said.

The country’s Inspectorate for Emergency Situations more than doubled the number of people injured to 67 on Sunday night. It said the storm tore roofs off schools, hospitals and houses, uprooted trees and damaged cars.

Elena Tarla, an Emergency Situations spokeswoman for Caras-Severin County, says the storm ripped out trees and downed power lines. She says many homes were without electricity.

Mihai Grecu, head of the emergency department at Timis County Hospital, told national news agency Agerpres that 30 people were receiving treatment for injuries from flying objects.

Officials warned residents to stay at home or take shelter, to remove appliances from sockets, and to stay away from power transmission towers.</s>Sudden storm killed eight people in the western city of Timisoara before heading to Ukraine.

A storm packing powerful winds ripped off roofs and toppled trees in Romania on Sunday, killing eight people and injuring dozens more, officials and witnesses said.

With gusts that reached nearly 100km/h, the storm pounded the area around the western city of Timisoara before heading north towards Ukraine.

Most of the victims were outside when the winds swept in. One man was hit by a falling tree, another by a billboard. Two children were in hospital in critical condition.

The interior ministry reported that 67 people were injured in the unexpected storm.

"Trees and roofs were torn off. Trucks were flipped over, water and electricity were cut off," Timisoara's mayor Nicolae Robu told TV channel Digi 24.

"We weren't warned about this. The weather report only called for rain," he added.

Teodora Cumpanasu of Romania's national meteorology agency, classified the storm as having a "rare intensity" and being "unexpected".

In particular Cumpanasu blamed an abnormal, days-long accumulation of hot air that stagnated in the atmosphere. Temperatures were above 30 degrees Celsius in Romania on Sunday.

The storm killed at least five people around Timisoara before travelling 400 kilometres north and striking other areas along the way.

"Everything happened very fast," Romania's interior minister Carmen Dan said.

Romania's national weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas.

Emergency responders have urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

3 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

A strong storm tore through western Romania on Sunday, killing five people and injuring dozens as it snapped trees, ripped off roofs and smashed into road signs, emergency services officials said.

BUCHAREST: A strong storm killed eight people and injured at least 67 in western Romania on Sunday as winds of up to 100 kph (over 60 mph) also brought destruction to parts of Serbia and Croatia, officials said.

Road and rail traffic in parts of Romania was halted by fallen trees. Several hospitals, schools and apartment buildings had roofs damaged and dozens of towns and villages were left without electricity.

Some of the casualties were people strolling outside or coming out of supermarkets, the emergency services said. A group of tourists was stranded for an hour in a chairlift in the northern county of Maramures.

In Serbia, a man went missing on his boat on the Danube river near Belgrade and six people, including a five-year-old child, were injured by falling trees. Arcing from power lines, caused by the high winds, triggered several wildfires.

In Croatia, flooding brought traffic to a standstill in several coastal towns.

"We can't fight the weather," Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. "The entire medical sector is focussed on the injured."

He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.

Nicolae Robu, mayor of the Romanian city of Timisoara spoke to local TV station Digi24 as he was surveying the scene outside.

"There are dozens of trees on the ground, roads blocked, we are out of electricity and water. There are roofs torn off houses, apartment buildings. There are overturned trucks. I've never seen anything like this."

Romania's national weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas.

Emergency responders have urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.</s>At least eight people were killed and dozens more injured when a violent storm hit western Romania on Sunday.

The storm, bearing winds of 100 kilometers an hour, also caused property destruction in neighboring Serbia, and in Croatia.

Road and rail traffic in parts of Romania was halted by fallen trees and dozens of towns and villages were left without power.

"We can't fight the weather," Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. "The entire medical sector is focused on the injured."

He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.

Romania's national weather agency issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas of the country.

Emergency responders urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.

The storm followed several days of high temperatures. Temperatures were above 30 degrees Celsius on Sunday.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

3 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

A strong storm tore through western Romania on Sunday, killing five people and injuring dozens as it snapped trees, ripped off roofs and smashed into road signs, emergency services officials said.

BUCHAREST: A strong storm tore through western Romania on Sunday, killing eight people and injuring at least 67, emergency service officials said.

Road and rail traffic was halted by trees felled in winds as high as 100 kph (over 60 mph). Several hospitals, schools and apartment buildings had roofs damaged and dozens of towns and villages were left without electricity.

Some of the casualties were people strolling outside or coming out of supermarkets, the emergency services said. A group of tourists was stranded for an hour in a charlift in the northern county of Maramures.

Hundreds of firefighters were deployed in the rescue and cleanup operation.

"We can't fight the weather," Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. "The entire medical sector is focussed on the injured."

He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.

Nicolae Robu, mayor of the western city of Timisoara spoke to local TV station Digi24 as he was surveying the scene outside.

"There are dozens of trees on the ground, roads blocked, we are out of electricity and water. There are roofs torn off houses, apartment buildings. There are overturned trucks. I've never seen anything like this."

The national weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western counties.

Emergency responders have urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.</s>A powerful storm in western Romania has killed eight people and injured at least 67, officials say.

Most of the victims were in and around the city of Timisoara, where winds of up to 100km/h (60mph) brought down trees and tore off roofs.</s>[BUCHAREST] A storm packing powerful winds ripped off roofs and toppled trees in Romania on Sunday, killing eight people and injuring dozens more, authorities and witnesses said.

With gusts that reached nearly 100 kilometres an hour, the storm pounded the area around the western city of Timisoara before heading north toward Ukraine.

Most of the victims were outside when the winds swept in. One man was hit by a falling tree, another by a billboard. Two children were in hospital in critical condition.

The interior ministry reported that 67 people were injured in the unexpected storm.

"Trees and roofs were torn off. Trucks were flipped over, water and electricity were cut off," Timisoara's mayor Nicolae Robu told TV channel Digi 24.

"We weren't warned about this. The weather report only called for rain," he added.

Teodora Cumpanasu of Romania's national meteorology agency, classified the storm as having a "rare intensity" and being "unexpected".

In particular Cumpanasu blamed an abnormal, several-day long accumulation of hot air that stagnated in the atmosphere. Temperatures were above 30 degrees Celsius in Romania on Sunday.

The storm killed five around Timisoara before travelling 400 kilometres north and striking other areas along the way.

"Everything happened very fast," Romania's interior minister Carmen Dan said.
At least eight people are killed and 137 injured after a strong storm hits western and central Romania.