10 killed after tornadoes hit east China's Jiangsu
A view shows the aftermath of a tornado in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China yesterday.
Ten people were killed and eight others were severely injured after two tornadoes hit several cities in east China's Jiangsu Province on Tuesday, local authorities said on Wednesday.
The cities of Yancheng and Suqian were most affected, according to the provincial emergency management department.
In Suqian, a tornado hit Daxing Township and Nancai Township at about 5:20pm Tuesday, killing five people and injuring four severely.
An initial investigation has shown that 5,512 people have been affected by the tornado, 137 homes have collapsed, a total of 41.8 hectares of crops have been damaged, and 405 people have been temporarily relocated to safe locations.
The tornado in Suqian was classified as a EF2, which means that its wind speeds were between 49 to 60 meters per second.
In Yancheng, another tornado struck the city's Funing County at 8:30pm Tuesday, killing five people and injuring four. The county's Lupu and Banhu townships experienced torrential rains.
An initial investigation has shown that 1,364 people have been affected, 199 hectares of crops have been damaged, and 129 people have been temporarily relocated to safe locations.
The tornado in Yancheng was classified as a EF3, which means that its wind speeds were between 61 to 75 meters per second.
According to data from the National Climate Center, Jiangsu and Guangdong are the provinces with the highest frequency of tornadoes in China, with an average annual number of four and above.
