Several dozen people were injured when a tornado ripped through parts of eastern Japan on Monday, tearing off roofs and uprooting buildings.
Footage aired by public broadcaster NHK showed a number of homes destroyed, upturned cars, schools with shattered windows and a warehouse that had been lifted from its foundations and hurled into other buildings in Koshigaya, north of Tokyo.
Residents were being prevented from re-entering the houses for fear of collapse.
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At least 27 people were injured in the city alone, local police said, without elaborating on the severity of the injuries.
A cyclist ducks under fallen utility poles after a tornado hit Koshigaya city, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Monday. Photo: AP
Jiji Press agency said most of the injured were members of a volleyball team at a local middle school.
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NHK said a few dozen people were taken to hospital, all with minor injuries.
