Five dead, 33 injured as strong tornado hits China

Five people were killed and 33 others injured in a strong tornado that hit Guangzhou, the capital city of south China’s Guangdong Province, at the weekend, local authorities said.

The tornado struck Zhongluotan Town in the city’s Baiyun District.

The weather station in Liangtian Village, roughly 2.8km from the tornado’s point of occurrence, registered a maximum wind gust of 20.6 metres per second.

A preliminary investigation by the provincial meteorological bureau has determined that the tornado had a level-three intensity – two levels down from the highest intensity level of five – and that it moved an approximate distance of one kilometre.

The city and the Baiyun District activated the emergency response soon after the tornado, sending rescuers from emergency management, weather, fire, waterworks and health departments as well as local residents to the disaster site immediately.

On-site search and rescue work has been completed. The injured people have been sent to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said 141 factory buildings were damaged, with no collapse of residential houses.