Child killed, 70,000 left without power as Poland hit by strong winds on Christmas Eve

24 Dec, 2017 14:55 / Updated 7 years ago

A seven-year-old child was killed and over 70,000 people were left without electricity on Christmas Eve in Poland, which was hit by winds of up to 95kph early on Sunday.

A tree fell on a moving car in Koscierzyna County on Poland’s Baltic Sea coast. A seven-year-old boy was killed in the accident. His father, who was driving the vehicle, was hospitalized, Fakt24 website reports. 

The severe weather has affected 10 out of 16 voivodeships in Poland, with strong winds bringing down trees, damaging buildings, and crippling power lines. As a result, over 72,000 Poles were left without electricity on Christmas Eve, the Government Security Center said. The worst situation is currently in Pomeranian Voivodship, where 53,000 were affected by the blackout. 

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Rescuers had to answer more than 700 calls to remove trees fallen on the roads and fix damaged roofs. The storm calmed around noon on Sunday, but meteorologist say they expect more strong winds in northern Poland in the evening hours, DobraPogoda24 website reports.