World

Tornadoes kill 10 people in eastern China

Debris was scattered in the sky after a tornado swept through a city in eastern China (Zhang via AP)
Debris was scattered in the sky after a tornado swept through a city in eastern China (Zhang via AP) Debris was scattered in the sky after a tornado swept through a city in eastern China (Zhang via AP)
By AP Reporter

Two tornadoes within hours of each other have killed 10 people and seriously injured four others in eastern China, state media said.

The first tornado hit parts of the city of Suqian in the province of Jiangsu on Tuesday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV said.

It destroyed 137 homes and damaged crops and pig farms. Five people died and four were injured.

A second tornado in the evening killed five people in the city of Yancheng, which is in the same province about 120 miles south-east of Suqian.

People walk past damaged houses in the aftermath of the tornado
People walk past damaged houses in the aftermath of the tornado People walk past damaged houses in the aftermath of the tornado (CCTV via AP)

Videos posted online of the first tornado showed cars that had been tossed about, including at least one flipped on to its side, and debris swirling in the air above a building.

CCTV said that power and road services had been restored in the Suqian area.

Tornadoes are rare in China but have caused deaths in Jiangsu in recent years.

One person in the province was killed in a tornado last year and four died in 2021. Another tornado killed eight people in the city of Wuhan the same day.