3 children die after fall into icy lake; UK gripped by storm

LONDON (AP) — Three young boys who fell through ice covering a lake in central England have died and a fourth remains hospitalized as weather forecasters issued severe weather warnings for large parts of the United Kingdom.

Rescuers pulled the boys, aged 8, 10 and 11, from the icy waters Sunday afternoon and rushed them to the hospital in the West Midlands, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of London. But they could not be revived after suffering cardiac arrest.

The fourth child, who is 6, remains in critical condition. Emergency workers searched through the night for two other children who were reportedly with the group.

The news came as the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service, issued severe weather alerts for large parts of the country. Roads in eastern and southeastern England were among the most affected. Some travelers were stuck for hours due to the closure of the UK’s busiest highway, the M25, which circles greater London.