Man sucked out of 12th-floor apartment amid tornado in China
What's the story
A powerful tornado struck China's Hubei province on Monday evening, killing at least 11 people and injuring over 331 others. The storm reached wind speeds of up to 260km per hour (160 miles per hour). Huanggang city was one of the worst-hit areas, with a 30-year-old man being sucked out of his 12th-floor apartment by the tornado. His belongings, including a sofa and cabinets, were also swept away. The man is now in intensive care at a hospital.
Destruction details
A man was sucked out of his apartment
Elsewhere in the city, heavy trucks were lifted and moved up to 30 meters by the winds. The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that more than 4,855 houses were damaged in Hubei, a key industrial center known for its automotive production. Acknowledging the "immense losses from the disaster," local officials stated that over 3000 individuals were involved in rescue attempts.
Flooding fears
Typhoon Maysak causes flooding in Guangxi region
The severe weather in Hubei is due to Typhoon Maysak merging with the early-summer rainy season, experts say. The typhoon has also caused flooding in China's southwest Guangxi region, killing four people and leaving eight missing. Over 600 people are still waiting for evacuation as floodwaters from the typhoon break precipitation records across several cities, including Hengzhou.
Additional threat
Snakes escaped from a flooded farm
In Hengzhou village, over 800 snakes escaped from a flooded snake farm. Although many were non-venomous water and rat snakes, some cobras posed a venomous threat. A villager was bitten and is receiving treatment at a hospital. Local residents have formed a team to catch the snakes amid the flooding crisis.