Tornado kills 7, injures 207 in central China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-04-23 14:45

A Tornado killed seven people and injured 207 others in Hengyang City, central China's Hunan Province, said information from the civil affairs bureau of the city.

Downtown areas of Hengyang City, and two counties of Hengyang and Hengnan were struck by the tornado around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the tornado, with the maximum wind force of a strong gale, moved on at a speed of 23 meters per second.

As the tornado swept through, ancient trees were pulled down, tiles were sent to fly in the sky, and fist-shape hailstones were falling down, and huge advertising billboards collapsed, said local sources.

The tornado destroyed 2,430 rooms and 1,106 hectares of crops, and 700 farmers became homeless. And 22 high-tension lines were fully damaged, causing a blackout in Hengyang County.

Hengyang City went all out to organize rescue operations and sent down relief materials after the accident. All residents affected by the tornado are being accommodated, and compensation for the losses caused by the tornado is being assessed.