Two tornadoes strike China: at least 10 dead

 Sylvie Claire / May 15, 2021

Two tornadoes killed at least 10 people and injured more than 300 after passing through central and eastern China, local authorities said Saturday.

Strong winds of more than 100 km/h swept through the central metropolis of Wuhan on Friday evening, the birthplace of the coronavirus pandemic.  Six people died and more than 200 were injured, said authorities in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital. The gusts were so strong that two construction cranes were damaged, one of them collapsing on a construction site, causing significant material damage. 

In addition to vehicles damaged by falling objects, trees were uprooted, tin sheds partly destroyed and electricity poles knocked down, depriving more than 26,000 homes of power.  Nearly 30 homes collapsed, according to Hubei authorities. The city of Suzhou, near Shanghai, was also hit Friday night by a powerful tornado with winds of more than 200 km/h, according to local authorities.

One report said four people were killed and one missing, and 130 were slightly injured.