(Bloomberg) -- A massive storm lashed Cape Town, South Africa’s second-largest city, and parts of the surrounding Western Cape province on Wednesday, claiming eight lives, downing power lines and forcing schools and some roads to close.
Four people died in a fire caused by a lightning strike in the northern Cape Town suburb of Kraaifontein, while another was killed in the Lavender Hill area when a building collapsed, said James-Brent Styan, a spokesman for the provincial ministry for local government, environmental affairs and development planning. Three people died due to fires related to the storm in Rheenendal, outside Knysna, east of Cape Town, he said by phone. The storm is expected to abate by Thursday afternoon, he said.
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|Strong winds & heavy rains
Wind speeds averaged from 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour to 70 kilometers per hour Tuesday night, with gusts of as fast as 100 kilometers per hour. Some towns recorded 45 millimeters (1.8 inches) of rain.
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