A band of thunderstorms struck various parts of Finland on Saturday, leaving a trail of damage.
One person was killed and several others injured when a thundersquall hit one of Finland’s largest annual gatherings near Oulu on Saturday.
A middle-aged woman who was seriously injured by a falling mobile phone mast later died of her injuries.
The sudden, violent storm struck shortly after noon at the Summer Services, the annual meeting of the Conservative Laestadians, a Finnish Lutheran movement. The event resumed around 4:30pm.
Organisers estimate that some 76,000 people are taking part in this year's event in Pudasjärvi, North Ostrobothnia. It is scheduled to end on Monday.
Police and the Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) have launched a probe into the fatal accident.
Man injured by fallen tree in Joensuu
The storm front that advanced rapidly over eastern Finland kept North Savo rescue services busy on Saturday.
Traffic was halted for almost an hour on busy Motorway 5 due to fallen trees on the road.
Half a dozen large trees fell across the road just north of Leppävirta, said Aki Nyyssönen of the Varkaus fire department, leader of the team that cleared the road.
No injuries were reported, but there was at least one close call.
"A southbound motorist managed to stop three meters before a tree fell on the road," Nyyssönen told Yle.
Fallen trees caused kilometres-long queues in both directions of the highway.
Rescue services in the area had almost 40 callouts due to storm damage within less than two hours, but again no serious injuries were reported.
Lightning set a sauna on fire in Nilsiä and damaged the electrical system of a residential building in Siilinjärvi. Meanwhile rescue services were called to assist three sailboats with broken masts.
In North Karelia, almost 5,000 households were without electricity.
In Joensuu, a man who was sawing up a tree that had fallen into a cabin was trapped under it. According to Lari Parkkinen of North Karelia rescue services, the man was injured in the accident.
Another accident took place in Joensuu in the afternoon, when a car hit a tree that had fallen on a road.
Thousands of households lose power
In Heinävesi, rescuers retrieved two people whose boat had capsized on Lake Kermajärvi. The boaters were wearing life jackets and were not hurt.
On Saturday afternoon, some 8,500 Savon Voima customers without electricity due to trees falling on lines and transformer faults caused by lightning bolts, said Minna Vierimaa, the power utility’s communications director.
30 June: Updated with fatality, other details.
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