A MAN was killed last night when a tree was blown on to his car in
Lanarkshire as gale force winds caused havoc across Scotland.
Emergency teams cut Mr David Houston, 41, of Pinewood Walk,
Strathaven, out of the wreck of his vehicle on the A71, two miles from
Strathaven, but he died later in hospital. His 14-year-old daughter,
Catherine, a passenger in the car, was treated for a broken ankle at
Hairmyres Hospital.
A second man died after being struck by falling debris in Pinkston
Drive, Sighthill, Glasgow. Emergency services who were called to the
scene found the injured pedestrian lying in the street and took him to
Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he died a short time later.
The dead man's name is not being released until relatives have been
informed.
An employee died in an accident during high winds at the Glenshee Ski
Centre last night. He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the
accident at a building near the centre but was found to be dead on
arrival.
Grampian Police said an investigation has been launched into the
circumstances of the man's death.
Meanwhile nine people, including a year old baby, had to be evacuated
when a chimney crashed into their flats at Tower Drive, Renfrew. Council
officers and police were organising alternative accommodation early
today.
Earlier, a lorry driver had to be freed from his vehicle when it
overturned on the A74 near Douglas Road end. Police said he was not
badly injured.
The CalMac ferry Isle of Arran was last night riding out the storm in
the Clyde estuary with 10 passengers aboard as winds of more than 75mph
prevented her berthing at Gourock.
A spokesman for Caledonian MacBrayne said the vessel had left Brodick
before 5pm and arrived off Gourock about 6.30pm after being diverted
from Ardrossan. Her skipper, however, decided not to try to berth, but
to wait for a break in the weather.
In Glasgow, 170 students were evacuated from an 11-storey tower block
of Queen Margaret halls of residence in Bellshaugh Road when one of its
two fire escapes was declared unsafe after a section of wall cladding
broke loose.
Five residents of flats in East Burnside Street, Kilsyth, were
evacuated after a chimney collapsed on to the building's roof and
roadway.
Glasgow's Great Western Road was closed at Anniesland Cross for
several hours when the dome of a building overlooking the road was seen
to be in danger of collapse.
Residents of Banner Drive, in the city's Knightswood district,
reported that the roof of a block of flats had blown off.
At Glenboig near Coatbridge, 30 people fled from their mobile homes at
the Annathill Caravan Park when the vehicles were blown from their
moorings.
One of the worst problems on the roads came on the A78, which was
completely blocked by flooding between Largs and Skelmorlie. Police were
unable to set up a diversion as a fallen tree blocked the only available
route.
Earlier, high winds forced the temporary closure of North Bridge and
High Street in Edinburgh in the wake of damage from broken windows and
falling slates. The north-bound carriageway of the Tay Road Bridge was
closed from 4.40pm yesterday after a furniture van was blown over.
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