July 6, 2024 5:01 PM.
In China, five people have been killed and 88 others injured after tornadoes struck the Heze City in Shandong province. The local authorities said that tornadoes hit the Dongming County and the Juancheng County. It informed that a total of 2,820 houses, 4,060 hectares of crops and 48 power supply lines were damaged in the disaster. The authorities said that a task force had been deployed to carry out a comprehensive survey of the damage. It further added that the roadways and communications have been restored.
Five people were confirmed dead after tornadoes struck a city in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, according to local media reports Saturday.
Tornadoes struck parts of the city of Heze on Friday afternoon, including the counties of Dongming and Juancheng, injuring 88 people. That includes five who were later confirmed dead, according to the state-owned Xinhua news agency.
Authorities said that 2,820 houses, 48 power supply lines and over 4,000 hectares of crops were damaged. Communication, power and water supplies have since been restored, state media said.
Tornadoes are usually seen in China’s southern and coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu, according to China Weather News, run by the China Meteorological Administration.
The tornado struck during the afternoon in the eastern province of Shandong, about 330 miles south of Beijing, leaving significant damage in its wake.
Dramatic footage showed the tornado’s thick grey funnel swirling through the city, tearing the roofs from buildings and uprooting trees.
Other images and videos released by state media showed debris flying through the air, shattered windows and overturned cars.
More than 2,000 homes have been damaged, according to state media, and death and injury figures may still rise as the emergency response continues.
In general, true figures will likely be much higher as Chinese authorities tend to downplay the consequences of such events, including disasters and pandemics, over concern about stoking public criticism or dissent.
This latest tornado comes just months after one sliced through the southern city of Guangzhou in April, killing at least five people and injuring more than 30.
Extreme weather phenomena, including cyclones, tornados, heavy rains and heat waves have become more common around the world as a result of global warming.
China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which causes global warming, and the country experienced its warmest year since 1901. It also noted concerns over extreme weather as a result of climate change in an annual assessment.