Tornado hits quarter of a million people in east China

BEIJING (AFP) Jul 21, 2003
A powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the east Chinese province of Anhui, affecting nearly a quarter of a million people and damaging thousands of houses, state media reported Monday.

The tornado, which was accompanied by a heavy rain storm, hit 110 towns in Anhui Saturday afternoon, the Xinhua news agency said, citing the local anti-flood and drought headquarters.

In the course of five terrifying hours, the storms affected 203,500 people and damaged 14,500 houses, according to preliminary data.

The figures are expected to be revised upwards, as flooding has increased the difficulty of assessing the damage, Xinhua said.

TERRA.WIRE