3 killed as Hurricane Ophelia lashes Ireland

LONDON - 16 October 2017: Three people have been killed as Hurricane Ophelia lashes Ireland, with a national emergency declared in the Republic of Ireland, the BBC News reported Monday.

One man in his 30s died in a chainsaw accident while trying to clear a fallen tree in County Tipperary.

A woman in her 50s in County Waterford and a man in County Louth were killed after trees fell on their cars.

All schools in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will remain closed on Tuesday.

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar has warned people to stay indoors, as severe winds cause transport disruption, uproot trees and cut power supplies.

A red weather alert is in place across the Republic of Ireland, meaning there is a danger to life.

Some 365,000 customers are without power in the Republic and it could be 10 days before normal service resumes. Emergency crews are coming from Northern Ireland and the UK to help restore the supply, said the Irish PM.

About 18,500 homes have no electricity in Northern Ireland.
In addition to schools closing, many businesses did not open or closed early to enable staff to get home before the worst of the storm hit.

A number of roads in Northern Ireland have been closed or blocked by fallen trees, and public transport came to a virtual standstill from late afternoon on Monday.