Storm Niklas: At least nine people killed in northern Europe

Nine people are reported dead after a strong storm hit Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the UK.

Seven people were killed in Germany, including two men whose car was hit by a tree.

German media reports that there have been dozens of injuries from flying branches.

In Austria, a man fell from a ladder and suffered fatal head injuries while securing an awning over his patio.

Forecasters said that on Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, winds of more than 118 mph were recorded.

Rail services were disrupted and the main station in Munich had to be evacuated due to concerns that parts of the roof might collapse.

A man in the UK was seriously injured when his car was crushed by a falling tree.

The biggest winds in the Netherlands were put at 75mph by weather site Weeronline. Toppled trucks were left scattered across Dutch roads.

As the storm, dubbed Niklas, swept from the west across Germany, regional rail services came to a halt in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, while many Germans were trying to get away ahead of the Easter holiday period.

A man was killed when a concrete wall fell on top of him in the eastern town of Gross Santersleben, police said.

Flights were disrupted at airports in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

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