Dangerous storm: Skier killed in France, wind blows train with rails in Switzerland

In a powerful snowstorm hitting Europe, one person died and at least 23 were injured, officials said.

In France, a skier was killed when a tree fell on the ski slope and at least 15 people were injured in the regions in the north and east of the country. Eight people were injured in wind bumps that practically blew a train from the Swiss ski run in a winter storm that fell down trees and electric lines leading to a break in electricity for thousands of homes.

The train landed with a rail in central Switzerland, the Regional Railway Administration (MOB) announced. The winds at Pilatus, near Luzern, reached 195 kilometers per hour, the highest record since the beginning of the measurement in 1981, reports SRF media network. The Swiss meteorological service reports that hurricane winds are possible throughout the country. Many roads are closed, ferry traffic is stopped, and more flights are canceled.

More people remained blocked on a ski lift in the Swiss canton of Saint Galen when the trees fell on the gondola line, the police said. In Bern, Christmas tree exposed at the main railway station interrupted in half, but nobody was injured. The tree is 13 meters high and it's hard to 2.4 tons. More than a fifth of the originally planned 1,200 flights were canceled because the winds reached a speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

• 3 Jan, 2018
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