Storms sever power to tens of thousands of tomes in Bulgaria

Tens of thousands of homes in central Bulgaria Friday were without power Friday as storms swept the region, knocking out electricity and telecommunication lines and ripping roofs off houses, dpa reported. A 34-year-old woman died Thursday night in the central Balkan Mountains town of Gabrovo after she was hit by falling scaffolding, police said. Several people in the area have also been injured by falling trees and debris, local authorities said. In Gabrovo, the wind carried away part of the roof of the local hospital. A state of emergency was declared in the towns of Gabrovo, Dryanovo and Tryavna. Some 48,000 households were without electricity and many schools were closed, national radio reported.