Rescuers Search Rubble after Tornado Kills Nearly 100 in China

YANCHENG, China (AP) — Rescuers in eastern China searched Friday for survivors of a tornado and hailstorm that killed at least 98 people as it swept over a city's outskirts, destroying buildings, smashing trees and flipping vehicles on their roofs. The tornado hit a densely populated area of farms and factories Thursday near the city of Yancheng in Jiangsu province, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Beijing. Jiangsu Governor Shi Taifeng said Friday that the death toll had risen to 98 people, with 800 others injured, according to the official China News Service. Earlier, the state-run Xinhua News Agency had said 200 people were critically injured. On Friday, rescuers worked to carry injured villagers into ambulances and deliver food and water to others, Xinhua reported, although state broadcaster CCTV said that roads were blocked with trees, downed power lines and other debris. Heavy rain and the possibility of further hailstorms and more tornadoes complicated rescue efforts. In badly hit Xintu village, survivors grieved over lost relatives and surveyed the damage wrought on their homes. "The people inside tried to run outside, but the wind was too strong so they couldn't," villager Wang Shuqing told an Associated Press reporter. "My family members were all inside, they all died. The police then came and took the bodies out, I can't bear it." The disaster has been declared a national-level emergency, and on a trip to Uzbekistan, Chinese Pres...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Major Incidents Source Type: news