Seven killed as thunderstorm pummels Houston

HOUSTON: At least seven people have died in Houston, as high-wind thunderstorms moved through Texas.

Official causes of death have not been determined, but officials presume two people were killed by fallen trees and one person was killed by a crane that toppled over, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said.

The school district canceled classes for Friday, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire urged non-essential workers to stay home from work and off the roads, as glass was scattered across downtown, traffic lights went out across the city, and trees and live wire were blocking streets and highways.

The storms primarily affected northwest Houston, Houston Heights, the central business district and east Houston.

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All city departments were working overnight y to clear debris and open centers for people who need medical assistance, are homeless or whose power went out.

Statewide, nearly 900,000 customers were without power early Friday morning, most of them located in Harris County, where Houston is primarily situated, according to poweroutage.us. Whitmire said it could take between 24 and 48 hours for electricity to be restored.

He added the city has not heard from anyone who is trapped, but there is a backlog of 911 calls. The majority of them have been about gas leaks, Peña said. The state sent in Department of Public Safety officers to clear the downtown area so that Houston police can focus on monitoring the calls.