Tornado kills 14, injures 146 in eastern China
Pastor Dale Morgan
Tornado kills 14, injures 146 in eastern China*
Reuters
Wednesday, July 4, 2007; 5:13 AM
BEIJING (Reuters) - A tornado swept across eastern China, killing 14
people and injuring 146, state media reported on Wednesday, the latest
casualties from bad weather that has devastated parts of the country
this summer.
The tornado hit three villages around Tianchang in Anhui province on
Tuesday, destroying more than 100 houses, the official Xinhua news
agency said. The bodies of seven people had been recovered from the rubble.
State television showed footage of uprooted trees, toppled electric
poles and a truck blown into a river.
Of the 93 injured, 35 were in serious condition, Xinhua said. A further
200 people had been evacuated.
Seven people were killed in Gaoyou city in neighboring Jiangsu province,
the agency said, adding that 53 were injured.
"Winds and heavy rain cut off power and telecommunications, ripped off
rooftops and uprooted thousands of trees," a Gaoyou government official
was quoted as saying.
The winds at the centre of the tornado reached speeds of 100 kilometers
per hour (62 mph), Xinhua said.
Forecasters were now warning of possible floods along the Huai river,
which runs through the region. The upper reaches of the Huai had already
reached critical levels.
Up to Monday, 18 provinces and major cities across China had been hit by
floods and accompanying disasters, with a total of 233 people killed and
118,500 houses destroyed, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief
Headquarters said on its Web site (sfdh.chinawater.com.cn).
The office warned that China was entering the main flood season and must
brace for surging waters along major rivers.