BRUSSELS, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Two people, including a five-year-old child, are confirmed dead in Belgium as the storm "Ciaran" wreaked havoc in Europe Thursday, local authorities said.
The two deaths were both reported in Ghent, a city 50 km northwest of the capital Brussels, police said.
As gales exceeded 100 km per hour, a falling tree hit two pedestrians in a park, killing one of them and leaving the other with a broken leg, according to the police in Ghent.
Police did not reveal any detail about the death of the five-year-old.
The storm has caused massive damage, with trees uprooted, roofs damaged, electricity poles bent and road signs blown away. Nearly 85 fire brigades responded to the storm in Brussels.
The rail network was also disrupted as various objects blocked the tracks. Train speed was limited to 80 km per hour throughout the country until 8 p.m. local time, said Infrabel, the network operator.
Maritime traffic has been temporarily interrupted in areas due to the storm.
Green spaces and parks in Brussels were closed to the public on Thursday.
The whole country is now on yellow alert, except for the coastal region, which remains under orange.
According to the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM), the peak of storm Ciaran, which has also swept across several other European countries since Wednesday night, has passed. However, gusts sweeping at 90 km per hour are still possible inland, whereas the western areas could still expect gales of 100 km per hour. ■
