Seven people injured and 500 homes damaged as sudden tornado hits Chinese city

A sudden tornado struck a Chinese city on Sunday, injuring seven people and damaging at least 500 homes, mainland officials report.

All the people injured by the unexpected tornado, which struck the city of Shantou in Guangdong province on Sunday afternoon, were taken to hospital, but their conditions were unknown, city officials reported on Monday morning.

Photographs published by mainland media show the trail of devastation left behind by the tornado, including damaged buildings and piles of debris.

Shantou officials said that more than 1,800 residents living in three villages in the city’s suburb of Jinzao had suffered severe damage to their properties, including 300 homes that had their roofs blown off.