A violent storm that hit western Romania on Sunday killed at least eight people and injured 67 others.

Among the reported deaths were people strolling outside or coming out of supermarkets, emergency situation authorities said.

A man in the city of Timisoara died as he was hit by a billboard, while a woman was killed by a falling tree. Two more people died in the western town of Buzias, one of them hit by a falling tree. Another man died in the northwest city of Bistrita after he was hit by a branch during a walk in the park. 

The storm, bearing winds of 100 kilometers an hour damaged the roofs of several hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.

Road and rail traffic in parts of Romania was halted by fallen trees and dozens of towns and villages were left without power.

“We can’t fight the weather,” Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. “The entire medical sector is focused on the injured.”

He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.

Romania’s national weather agency issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas of the country.

Emergency responders urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.

The storm followed several days of high temperatures. Temperatures were above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) on Sunday.

The storm also caused destruction in parts of neighboring Serbia and Croatia, officials said.

In Serbia, a man was reported missing on his boat on the Danube River near Belgrade and six people, including a five-year-old child, were injured by falling trees. Arcing from power lines, caused by the high winds, triggered several wildfires.

In Croatia, flooding brought traffic to a standstill in several coastal towns.
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