Heavy Storms Kill Seven, Hurt Scores

Heavy storms that hit southern and eastern Romania have killed seven people and injured scores in recent days, police said Sunday.

Four farmers working their fields died when a violent hailstorm hit the southern county of Dolj on Friday. Another three were killed by lightning strikes in eastern Romania, police said in a report carried by the Mediafax news agency.

About 80 people were hurt, 12 seriously, the report said.

Power and telephone lines were cut to villages, and 148,000 acres of crops were destroyed. The news agency quoted the Ministry of Agriculture as estimating the damage at $14.3 million.