THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Falling trees killed two people as Storm Eunice pummelled the Netherlands on Friday, damaging buildings and blowing off parts of the roof at the stadium of soccer club ADO Den Haag, authorities said.
The government sent out text alerts telling people to stay indoors and said they should only call emergency services in life-threatening situations. “The emergency number is overloaded,” read the message.
One person was killed by a falling tree in Amsterdam, and a second in the nearby Diemen area, the city’s fire department said.
“Do not go out on the street anymore. It is truly dangerous,” the city’s police force said on Twitter.
Schools sent children home early and train were cancelled nationwide from 2 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).
Images of a strip of roof hanging off The Hague soccer club’s stadium circulated on social media.
Eunice, an Atlantic storm, has been battering Britain and Ireland most of Friday, causing widespread damage and killing at least one person.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) issued a “code red” warning saying gusts could reach up to 130 km per hour in coastal areas as the storm reaches continental Europe.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Andrew Heavens)
