After Corsica, which was hit by very violent winds that killed five people, it is Austria’s turn to suffer a natural disaster. A storm killed five people, including two children, in Austria on Thursday and left a dozen injured, authorities and the APA news agency said. According to the Austrian agency APA, three people were killed by a falling tree in Lower Austria (east), and two children died in Carinthia (south).
The children, believed to be between the ages of five and eight, and the injured were near a small lake in Carinthia when several trees were uprooted by gusts of wind, said Melanie Reiter, spokeswoman for the Red Cross in that Austrian state. In particular, in other places in this region on the borders with Italy and Slovenia, roofs have been swept away, she told the AFP news agency.
An 82-year-old man died in June
“Severe storms killed two children in Carinthia today and seriously injured others,” wrote Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Twitter. In June, an 82-year-old man died after landslides caused by heavy rains also caused major damage in Carinthia.
Severe storms in Carinthia today cost the lives of two children and inflicted serious attacks on other people. My thoughts are with the parents and relatives during this difficult time. A terrible stroke of fate for the families. https://t.co/uwT7sb3uR5
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) August 18, 2022
Austria is currently experiencing a heat wave and authorities have warned of thunderstorms. According to experts, climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves and other extreme weather events.