LISBON: Storm Kristin has claimed five lives and left nearly 450,000 clients without power on Thursday, more than 24 hours after it barreled through central and northern Portugal, authorities said.
The storm brought heavy downpours and strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 178kph, on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The fifth victim, whose death was announced on Thursday, was a 34-year-old man who died in the center of the country “as a result of the severe weather,” according to civil protection officials, who did not provide details.
Almost 450,000 customers were still without power early Thursday, mainly in the center of the country, according to E-redes, the electricity distribution network operator.
The majority were in the Leiria district in central Portugal where the storm knocking down poles and high-voltage lines.
Rail services remained suspended on several lines, including Lisbon to Porto, according to the state-owned rail company.
Several schools in the central part of the country remained closed.
Firefighters in Leiria responded to dozens of calls Thursday morning related to minor flooding and damage to roofs, regional official Ricardo Costa told the Lusa news agency.
“Residents are calling for help because it’s still raining, although not very heavily, but it’s causing significant damage to homes,” he added.
The Portuguese government said the storm had “caused significant damage across several parts of the country.”
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Portugal storm death toll climbs, 450,000 without power
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Portugal storm death toll climbs, 450,000 without power
- Storm Kristin brought heavy downpours and strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 178kph, on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday
Military drone strike in Niger killed 17 civilians in January: HRW
- An apparent Niger military drone strike killed 17 civilians, among them children, in western Niger near the Burkina Faso border last month, Human Rights Watch said on Monday
ABIDJAN: An apparent Niger military drone strike killed 17 civilians, among them children, in western Niger near the Burkina Faso border last month, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.
Niger is plagued by jihadist violence in the western Tillaberi region, a flashpoint zone where the country’s borders converge with that of its allies Burkina Faso and Mali.
Jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group have made the region a fiefdom, carrying out deadly attacks for nearly a decade.
“An apparent Nigerien military drone strike killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others at a crowded market” on January 6, HRW said in a statement.
Three Islamist fighters were also killed in the strike, it said.
It took place in the village of Kokoloko in the Tillaberi region, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital, Niamey, and less than three kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso, HRW said.
Witnesses spoke of having seen a drone flying over the village twice during the morning and then drop munition on it when hundreds of people were in the market, HRW said.
“The strike, which also killed three Islamist fighters, violated laws-of-war prohibitions against indiscriminate attacks and might amount to a war crime,” it added.
Niger’s military leaders, who came to power in a 2023 coup, have struggled to contain jihadist groups in Tillaberi, despite maintaining a large army presence in the region.
The Daesh group claimed an attack that targeted Niamey airport last month.
Niger is plagued by jihadist violence in the western Tillaberi region, a flashpoint zone where the country’s borders converge with that of its allies Burkina Faso and Mali.
Jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group have made the region a fiefdom, carrying out deadly attacks for nearly a decade.
“An apparent Nigerien military drone strike killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others at a crowded market” on January 6, HRW said in a statement.
Three Islamist fighters were also killed in the strike, it said.
It took place in the village of Kokoloko in the Tillaberi region, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital, Niamey, and less than three kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso, HRW said.
Witnesses spoke of having seen a drone flying over the village twice during the morning and then drop munition on it when hundreds of people were in the market, HRW said.
“The strike, which also killed three Islamist fighters, violated laws-of-war prohibitions against indiscriminate attacks and might amount to a war crime,” it added.
Niger’s military leaders, who came to power in a 2023 coup, have struggled to contain jihadist groups in Tillaberi, despite maintaining a large army presence in the region.
The Daesh group claimed an attack that targeted Niamey airport last month.
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