Storm Eunice carves deadly trail across Europeon February 19, 2022 at 10:59 pm

At least 14 people have been killed as Storm Eunice carved a deadly trail across Europe.

Deaths were reported in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Irish Republic and the UK, as fierce winds felled trees and sent debris flying.

Millions of homes and businesses lost power across Europe and transport networks were left in disarray.

The Dutch coastguard said it was trying to locate 26 empty shipping containers lost in the North Sea.

Gusts of more than 120mph (almost 200 km/h) were recorded on Friday.

Several of those who died were hit by falling trees: four in the Netherlands, two in Poland after trees fell on to their cars, and a man in his 60s in County Wexford, the Republic of Ireland.

Two more died in Germany and three people were killed on roads in England.

Two people have died in Belgium, including a man hit on the head by a solar panel blown off a building in Ghent.

The 40ft (12m) shipping containers were lost from the Panama-registered Marcos V around the Wadden Islands, en route to Germany.

The Dutch coastguard said it was using helicopters and a emergency towing vessel in the search, while ships in the area had also been asked to keep a look out.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands parts of the roof of the stadium of football team ADO Den Haag was ripped off in the Hague and high speed trains to Belgium, France and the UK were cancelled.

In Germany rail operator Deutsche Bahn said “more than 1,000km” (620 miles) of track had suffered damage.

Poland still had one million customers with electricity cut off on Saturday afternoon, AFP reported, after the country’s north-west took a battering.

Ferries across the Channel, the world’s busiest shipping lane, were suspended, before the English port of Dover reopened on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at airports including Heathrow and Schiphol.