Injuries and damage after Germany hit by 1st autumn storm

The first autumn storm to hit Germany this year has resulted in damages and injuries in the west and south-west of the country, with clean-up work continuing on Saturday morning, reported dpa.

Firefighters and police officers were deployed to remove fallen trees and branches, while residents were temporarily left without electricity in some areas.

Two people were seriously injured when a gust of wind knocked over a structure near a market in the town of Nastätten, to the west of Frankfurt, on Friday afternoon. One person was airlifted to hospital by helicopter and remains in critical condition, according to the police.

A cyclist was hit by a falling tree branch in the town of Seligenstadt south-east of Frankfurt and had to be freed by the fire brigade, while a pedestrian sustained light injuries after being struck by an advertising sign in the town of Lebach.

Rail services were also impacted, with passengers reporting "massive sparks" when an object hit overhead lines at Karlsruhe main station.

A long-distance train carrying 280 passengers had to be towed by a diesel locomotive due to damage to overhead lines near the western city of Aachen, while fallen trees also blocked tracks near Neuss and in Stuttgart.

Storm Austen is forecast to move on towards Denmark and the Baltic Sea on Saturday, but another storm is expected to hit parts of Germany overnight and could bring heavy rain, according to the German Weather Service.