Foreign
20-month-old baby killed in violent hailstorm in Spain
Published
2 years agoon
By
Vida Essel-LampteyA 20-month-old child has died in Spain after being struck on the head by a hailstone.
About 50 other people reported injuries – ranging from bruises to bone fractures – from the freak 10-minute-long storm that hit the Girona region of Catalonia on Tuesday evening.
It destroyed roofs, downed power cables and shattered windows.
One of the hailstones measured 10cm (4 inches) in diameter, Catalonia’s meteorological service said.
It the largest to rain down on the region since 2002.
En concret, el nostre observador de la XOM a la Bisbal d'Empordà (el Baix Empordà) ha registrat un diàmetre màxim de pedra de fins a uns 10 cm. pic.twitter.com/oCpUQlRKfL
— Meteocat (@meteocat) August 30, 2022
Firefighters received more than 40 calls from members of the public about damage caused by Tuesday’s storm, mostly from the town of Bisbal d’Emporda.
One of the stones hit the 20-month-old child who was transferred to a hospital in the nearby city of Girona but later died from her injuries, local channel 324 reported.
“The hail only fell for 10 minutes, but it was 10 minutes of terror,” councillor Carme Vall told local radio, according to AFP news agency.
Catalonia’s president Pere Aragones described the accident as a “tragedy”.
Local officials have now reissued violent weather alerts, warning residents that more large hailstones could rain down on the coastal area.
According to advice from Catalonia’s meteorological service, hailstorms can occur throughout the year but are most frequently recorded between March and September.
An unusually hot summer has meant the nearby Mediterranean sea is warmer than usual for this time of year, making violent tropical storms more likely.
Source: BBC
You may like
-
Teenage boy arrested in Bangkok shooting
-
Former First Lady of Ghana Theresa Kufuor reported dead
-
More done 70 dead, 50 others injured in Johannesburg migrant building fire
-
Britney Spears’ third marriage hits the rock, split with husband 14 months on
-
Deadly Mediterranean wildfires kill more than 40
-
Ship with 3,000 cars in deadly fire off Dutch coast
Mahama leads NDC to mourn with Kufuor over wife’s passing
Former President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday, October 4 led a delegation from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to visit...
Former First Lady of Ghana Theresa Kufuor reported dead
The former First Lady of Ghana and wife of Ghana’s former President, John Agyekum Kufour, Mrs Theresa Kufuor has been...
The most powerful tool for change is the right to vote – Mahama
The 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, is rallying Ghanaains who have grown disillusioned with...
PFJ was a mere state resource looting platform – Minority
The Minority has descended heavily on the Akufo-Addo-led government for launching a second phase of the flagship Planting for Food...
ECOWAS is desecrating Ghana
The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Abraham Amaliba has said the Economy Community of...
Prof Gyampo elected President of UTAG, University of Ghana branch
A Senior Lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana (Legon), Prof Ransford Gyampo have been elected...