A view shows a tornado in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China, released on September 19, 2023, in this screenshot obtained from a social media video. (Video obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS)
BEIJING – Chinese weather officials have stepped up warnings of heavy rain and high winds in several regions, state media said Wednesday, a day after a violent tornado wreaked havoc in eastern Jiangsu province, killing 10 people.
The latest incident in weeks of destructive and deadly weather urged authorities to be vigilant against strong winds in coastal areas near the Yellow Sea near Jiangsu.
Tuesday’s tornado was brief but intense, with images on social media of overturned cars, downed power lines and flying debris, much of it littering the streets of Suqian, a city in the north of the province.
“I stood at the door and witnessed the wind, solar devices and trees flying through the air,” wrote a user of the popular social media platform Weibo. “For those two minutes I was stunned.”
Broadcaster CCTV said two areas in the province were affected: Suqian and Yancheng. Five people were killed and four seriously injured when the tornado suddenly struck a densely populated area at 5:20 pm (2120 GMT) in Suqian, damaging 1,646 houses and leaving hectares of crops destroyed.
The tornado then ripped through Yancheng, killing another five people and injuring four others, CCTV said.
Weather warnings were also issued on Wednesday for the southwestern region of Chongqing, several areas in southwestern Guizhou, southern Hunan, eastern Anhui and central Hubei.
Heavy rain recently lashed southeastern China, causing mass evacuations, landslides and deaths in the wake of persistent storms caused by the remnants of Typhoon Haikui.
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