(Updated with death toll, 0943 NST, 0358 GMT, Sunday)
Better together
KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Hurricane-force winds hitting northern Spain and southern France have now killed at least 15 people, including four children, BBC reported Sunday.
Four children aged from nine to 12 years were killed on Saturday when a sports hall collapsed near Barcelona in strong winds. [break]
Eleven people died in other, separate incidents in Spain and south-western France as the fiercest storm in a decade blew in from the Atlantic.
Torrential rains and winds of up to 172km/h (107mph) are being reported.
More than 1.5 million homes in France suffered power cuts while road and rail links were blocked and airports closed.
The impact of the storm has been felt from the Channel Isles to Barcelona, but the strongest winds and heaviest rain were concentrated on the French south-west.
Although this type of active low pressure system is fairly common in winter, BBC meteorologist Alex Deakin says, Saturday´s storm is being described as the most damaging since that of December 1999 which killed 88 people.
The storm is tracking south-eastwards and is set to clear the south-east coast of France during Saturday evening.
It should then head towards northern Italy and the Adriatic, although is unlikely to be as damaging here.
The youngsters had gathered to play baseball but the fierce winds drove them to take shelter in a small covered area for spectators, made of concrete, with a corrugated iron roof.
Moments later, the high winds caused the structure to collapse.
Local people and fire-fighters helped free the survivors from the rubble but three children died at the scene, and a fourth child died later in hospital. More than a dozen others received treatment for injures.
