Hommam Al Nassim 
A violent tornado has hit the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, killing five people, and injuring 33 others, local authorities said Saturday.
The tornado hit the town of Zhonglutan in the city’s Baiyun district on Saturday afternoon, creating a maximum wind speed of 20.6 meters per second.
A preliminary report from the provincial weather office said the hurricane had reached level three and had moved an approximate distance of one kilometer.
On Saturday afternoon, a strong tornado struck southern Guangzhou's Zhongluotan town, affecting a distance of about 1 kilometer and impacting four villages. 141 factory buildings were damaged, but no residential houses collapsed. The tornado caused 5 deaths and 33 injuries. pic.twitter.com/ZnDHtbjD4H
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 28, 2024
Rescue teams from the Emergency, Safety and Health Department were dispatched to the site immediately, where search and rescue work was mainly completed.
5 were killed, 33 others were injured by a strong #tornado that hit Zhongluotan Town of Baiyun District in #Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong on Saturday afternoon.
The tornado had a level-three intensity — two levels down from the highest intensity level of five — and moved an… pic.twitter.com/Ryp6beXQSj— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) April 28, 2024
Meanwhile, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported large hail falling in the Guangzhou city area.
“Under the influence of convective clouds, a strong tornado occurred in the Guangzhou area and large hail grains with a diameter of more than 5 centimeters fell,” the agency said in a statement.
Videos circulated on social media showing heavy hail and heavy rainfall, as well as footage of the cyclone that swept through the area.
The injured were taken to hospital for treatment, and so far, no collapses of residential houses have been recorded, but 141 buildings were damaged, according to local authorities.
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