4 dead in Houston storms

HOUSTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were dead after strong storms hit Houston late Thursday, the largest city in the U.S. state of Texas, city officials said.

It is not immediately clear how the people died.

The storms caused massive damage across the areas. As of 9 p.m. local time on Thursday (0200 GMT Friday), CenterPoint, an American electric and natural gas utility, reported nearly 900,000 customers without power.

Trees were uprooted and powerlines knocked down in many neighborhoods across Houston and its suburbs.

Houston ISD, the largest school district in Texas, canceled all classes for Friday due to the storm damage and power outages.