Seven people killed as storm Xavier sweeps across northern Germany

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Berlin's Alexanderplatz station was severely overcrowded today as storm Xavier paralyzed transport in the capital[/SUP][/SUB]

Seven people were killed by a powerful storm in Germany today four of them crushed in their vehicles in Brandenburg state.

Public transport was also severely disrupted.

Berlin's fire brigade declared a state of emergency and said it had received 50 emergency calls on Thursday as storm Xavier made its destructive progress across the north of the country. Hamburg's fire brigade also received hundreds of calls and issued a warning, telling residents to stay indoors as the storm passed.

 

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More photos show serious overcrowding at Alexanderplatz metro station in Berlin today

 

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The wind in Berlin was so strong it flipped a pedestrian tunnel.

 

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Hannover Main Train Station

Train connections in several northern states were shut down, including links to and from Berlin, because of the danger from branches over the tracks. Germany rail company Deutsche Bahn opened stationary trains to travelers left stranded by cancellations.

About 400 passengers on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Berlin were evacuated shortly after crossing the Dutch-German border and taken to a nearby gymnasium.

 

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Some trains remained stuck for more than six hours and passangers were offered a stay in hotel by Deutsche Bahn.

 

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Satellite view of the cyclone affecting Germany taken earlier today from sat24.com

Strong wind over the North Sea as well as a cold airmass penetrates deep into Central Europe where it's still relatively warm.

 

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Crushed car in Berlin

Meanwhile authorities in Hamburg warned residents to stay inside after a tree fell on a car and killed a woman. A truck driver was also killed near Rostock when a tree hit his vehicle.

In Berlin, where winds reached up to 120 kph (75 mph), flights were temporarily grounded at the city's two airports and much of the public transportation system was shut down. One woman died in the capital after a tree fell on her car.