Death toll from Texas storm rises to 7

The death toll from severe weather that
lashed the Texas city of Houston has risen to seven, authorities said Friday.

The three additional deaths came after Houston, the fourth-largest US city,
was hit Thursday by heavy rain and winds up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per
hour, leaving downtown streets covered in glass from blown-out windows.

Downed trees and power lines littered residential areas and the National
Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in the suburb of Cypress.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the new victims included an
85-year-old woman who died after her mobile home was struck by lightning and
caught fire.

A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead after going to
his truck to try and power his oxygen tank, after electricity was cut across
wide swaths of the storm-hit area.

And a 57-year-old man collapsed and died after trying to move a downed power
pole.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday after the storm that four people
died, though specifics were not immediately available.

Schools in Houston, home to 2.3 million people with an economy centered
around oil and petrochemicals, were closed on Friday and non-essential
workers urged to stay home. (BSS/AFP)