Mass power cuts continue in US and Canada after storm

More than 500,000 households in the north-eastern US and the
south-eastern Canada are still without electricity after last
weekend's severe ice storm.Utility crews are working round-the-clock,
but warn that some homes could be without power at least until
Saturday.In Toronto, 72,000 people were without electricity on
Christmas Day, officials in Canada's Ontario province said.At least 27
deaths in the region have been linked to the storm.Most of those were
caused by apparent carbon monoxide poisoning as people used gas
generators, charcoal stoves and other appliances to heat their homes
in freezing temperatures.

"I understand they want to keep warm, but you cannot do this. This is
deadly," Toronto Mayor Rob Ford warned earlier this week.Other
fatalities were caused by traffic accidents.Elsewhere in Canada, tens
of thousands of people are still without power in New Brunswick and
Quebec, and hundreds in Nova Scotia.In the US, states from Maine to
Michigan have been affected by the adverse weather.Travel between
between Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa and New York had been
disrupted.Environment Canada meteorologist David Phillips warned
earlier this week that the ice would remain as temperatures stayed
below freezing."There's no natural melting going on," he said