ZURICH (Reuters) - An intense storm ripped through a beer tent in northwestern Austria, killing two people and injuring at least 40 more, Austrian media reported late on Friday.

About 700 people were in the tent erected for a local volunteer fire department festival in St. Johann am Walde, located northeast of Salzburg, when the storm hit suddenly at about 2030 GMT.

A man and a woman, both around 20 years old, died, the Austrian Press Agency reported.

Of those injured, 10 suffered serious injuries, media reported, without providing specifics.

About 150 rescue personnel responded to the incident, which left debris strewn across a large area, according to photographs of the scene.