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A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 11 February 2020
Fierce storm causes deaths, damage and delays across Europe

By FRANK JORDANS hole in a residential street
and PAN PYLAS in the town of Brentwood,
Associated Press east of London. Six prop-
BERLIN (AP) — A storm erties had to be evacu-
battered Europe with hur- ated due to the unstable
ricane-force winds and ground that is said to have
heavy rains, killing at least been linked to a partially
seven people and causing collapsed sewer. The emer-
severe travel disruptions as gency services made the
it moved eastward across scene safe just before day-
the continent Monday and break. The British govern-
bore down on Germany. ment said it was offering
After striking Britain and Ire- financial compensation
land on Sunday, the storm through its emergency Bell-
moved on, leaving a trail of win scheme.
damage including power Under the scheme, local
cuts for tens of thousands authorities dealing with the
of homes across Europe. storm can apply to have
A woman and her 15-year- certain costs reimbursed.
old daughter died in Po- Transport authorities were
land after the storm ripped also working hard to clear
off the roof of a ski rental up the mess. Network Rail,
equipment building in the which runs the country's rail
mountain resort of Bukowi- A view of a Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in the aftermath of Storm Ciara, in infrastructure, said thou-
na Tatrzanska and sent it Brentwood, England, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Associated Press sands of engineers had
hurtling onto people stand- "battled horrendous condi-
ing near a ski lift, police Germany, a driver died af- according to power com- storm moves on, around 75 tions" after the storm blew
said. Three people also ter crashing his truck into pany CEZ. Britain, which remain in place across the trees, sheds, roofs and
were injured in the incident. a trailer parked by workers bore the brunt of the storm country. even trampolines onto the
In Sweden, one man clearing storm debris off a on Sunday, was assessing The River Irwell burst its tracks.
drowned after the boat he highway in the southern the damage and working banks in northwest Eng- Airlines operating to and
and another person were state of Hesse. to get power restored to land, prompting authori- from U.K. airports were
sailing in on the southern Police in the Czech Re- 20,000 homes. However, for ties to evacuate residents. still being affected by the
lake of Fegen capsized. public said the storm likely parts of northern England And in the Scottish town of storm, with more than 100
The victim was washed was to blame for a car ac- and Scotland, the respite Hawick, which borders Eng- flights canceled.
ashore and later died. The cident that killed the man is set to be brief, with fore- land, a guest house and "We're getting in touch with
other person is still missing, driving and injured a wom- casts of blizzards and snow. bistro collapsed into the those affected, and have
according to the Afton- an passenger. Investigators Many parts of the country raging River Teviot. No one brought in extra customer
bladet daily. think a tree fell on the car, were mopping up after a was injured. teams to help them with a
Two men, one in the north which skidded off the road month and a half's rain fell in In another dramatic scene, range of options including
of Slovenia and another and and overturned. just 24 hours in some places a driver managed to es- a full refund or an alterna-
in southern England, also The number of Czech and rivers burst their banks. cape unhurt in the early tive flight between now
died after their cars were households without elec- Though 360 flood warnings hours of Monday when a and Thursday," British Air-
hit by falling trees. And in tricity reached 290,000, have been removed as the car fell nose-first into a sink- ways said in a statement. q

A bridge too far? U.K. looks

at linking Scotland, N. Ireland

said the proposal was be- and claimed it would Johnson has a mixed track
ing taken seriously and "a "only cost about 15 billion record with big projects. As
range of officials" were pounds" ($20 billion). mayor of London between
studying it. But engineers say span- 2008 and 2016 he touted a
"There is a proper piece ning the deep and stormy "Boris Island" airport in the
of work being undertaken Irish Sea would be difficult. River Thames estuary and
into this idea," he said. "The The distance is 12 miles (19 a lush "garden bridge" in
PM is ambitious in terms of kilometers) at its narrow- the middle of the city. Nei-
infrastructure projects." est; one of the most likely ther was ever built.
Johnson has promised routes for a bridge, be- Ian Firth, a fellow at the In-
to build major new infra- tween Larne in Northern stitution of Civil Engineers,
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street structure to better con- Ireland and Portpatrick in said building a Scotland-
in London, to attend the weekly Prime Minister's Questions at
the Houses of Parliament, in London, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. nect parts of the U.K. in the Scotland, is about 28 miles Northern Ireland bridge
Associated Press wake of Britain's divisive (45 kilometers). had "a huge number of
exit from the European The water is up to 1,000 technical challenges" but
By JILL LAWLESS between Scotland and Union. He also has vowed feet (300 meters) deep was probably achievable.
Associated Press Northern Ireland, an auda- to boost regions outside and the sea bed holds "At the end of the day it's
LONDON (AP) — The Brit- cious idea that has been the economically domi- thousands of unexploded about money," he said.
ish government said Mon- floated by Prime Minister nant southeast of England. bombs dumped by Brit- "Anything is possible if you
day it is seriously studying Boris Johnson. Johnson's He has mentioned the ain's defense ministry after throw enough money at
the feasibility of a bridge spokesman, James Slack, bridge idea several times, World War II. it."q