Fallen tree branches are shown on a street following an accumulation of freezing rain in Montreal, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL – Authorities say a Quebec man died this morning when he was crushed by a tree branch that fell after an intense ice storm.
They say the man was attempting to cut down branches on his property in Les Coteaux, Que., southwest of Montreal.
Wednesday’s ice storm knocked out power for more than one million customers across the province.
Quebec’s power utility Hydro-Québec says it expects to restore electricity to between 300,000 and 350,000 clients by the end of the day, and to 70 or 80 per cent of affected customers by midnight Friday.
The greatest damage from Wednesday’s bout of freezing rain occurred in western Quebec’s Outaouais region, as well as in the Montreal area and the Montérégie region.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this morning toured a Montreal neighbourhood affected by the storm and told reporters the federal government would offer help if needed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2023.
