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.

In the US, states from Maine to Michigan have been affected by the adverse weather

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.

(Source: BBC)