Canada: Five dead and hundreds of thousands without power due to storms

Enlarge image

Devastation also in Ottawa: a tree could not withstand the storm

Photo: Justin Tang/AP

At least five people died in several violent storms and thunderstorms in Canada over the weekend.

The storm cut a path of devastation through the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, cutting off power to around 850,000 homes, according to Canada's Environment Ministry.

Wind speeds of 130 kilometers per hour were measured in the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

Such strong storms are considered rare in this region – the most populous in the country.

According to consistent media reports, four people were killed by falling trees.

A woman also died when her boat capsized on a tributary of the Saint Lawrence River.

As of Saturday evening, around 925,000 homes in Ontario and Quebec were without power, according to the PowerOutage website - a high number for Canada, a country of 38 million people.

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 600,000 households were still without electricity.

The electricity provider Hydro One wrote on Twitter that it would take several days before the supply could be restored.

atb/dpa