Nine children and an adult were killed in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on an Alabama highway as heavy storms lashed the southeastern US state, a county coroner confirmed Sunday.

Saturday's crash on an interstate highway near the city of Greenville involved at least 15 vehicles and may have been caused by aquaplaning under heavy rains, Butler County coroner Wayne Garlock told AFP.

The dead included a father and daughter in an SUV, and eight occupants of a van carrying children from a county-run "girls ranch" that included foster children, local media reported.

"This was probably the most horrific accident in Butler County history," Sheriff Danny Bond told the al.com website.

He said at least two of the vehicles involved were 18-wheel trucks, and that four or five other people had suffered nonfatal injuries.

Northbound and southbound traffic on busy Interstate 65 were halted for hours, but both had reopened by Sunday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency tweeted.

"Our hearts are heavy today. Our ranch has suffered great loss... Please send prayers our way," tweeted the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch.

The van in the accident was one of two bringing children, none older than 17, back from a Girls Ranch outing to nearby Gulf Shores, al.com reported. The other van was unscathed.

The girls ranch serves as a foster home for children abandoned or from abusive families.

Tornado kills one, wounds others near Montreal
Montreal (AFP) June 22, 2021 - A tornado killed one person near Montreal, the deputy premier and minister of public safety of Quebec announced Monday.

"Extreme weather phenomenon in Mascouche," a city a few dozen kilometers (miles) north of Montreal, Genevieve Guilbault wrote on Twitter. "We unfortunately can confirm the death of one man. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."

"Our government teams are mobilized on the ground to help victims and support municipal authorities," she added.

The tornado also injured several people and damaged several dozen buildings, local media reported.

When contacted by AFP for details, the Mascouche police department could not be reached.

Video of the tornado's passage was shared on social media.

"The severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until further notice so we ask you to be cautious and avoid travel," the mayor of the town of 50,000 residents, Guillaume Tremblay, posted on Facebook.

Environment Canada had warned Monday evening that a "severe thunderstorm watch" was in effect and the storm could produce strong winds, hail and tornadoes.

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Lightning strikes kill 27 during India monsoon storm
Kolkata (AFP) June 8, 2021
Lightning strikes killed 27 people and four passengers on a flight were hospitalised after severe turbulence during monsoon storms in eastern India, officials said Tuesday. Lightning strikes during the June-September annual monsoon are fairly common in India. Officials said West Bengal was hit by thunderstorms late Monday, with lightning strikes in parts of the state. "Many of the 27 killed on Monday evening... in the state were farmers and working in the fields," West Bengal disaster manage ... read more