A powerful and deadly tornado ripped through China’s central Hubei province late Monday evening, leaving a path of destruction that included a man being dramatically sucked out of his 12th-floor apartment. The severe storm resulted in at least 11 fatalities and left more than 331 people injured, according to state media reports.
The tornado brought winds gusting up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, tearing apart houses, overturning vehicles, and damaging vast areas of farmland, as reported by the Xinhua news agency. Across Hubei, a significant industrial hub known for its automotive manufacturing, over 4,855 houses sustained damage.
One of the most severely impacted areas was Huanggang city, where the intense winds pulled a 30-year-old man, along with his sofa and cabinets, from his apartment on the 12th floor. Local media reports confirm the man is currently receiving intensive care in a hospital. Elsewhere in Huanggang, the sheer force of the wind was enough to lift and move several heavy trucks as far as 30 meters.
The destructive weather also struck nearby Ezhou city, where five people were killed. Local authorities acknowledged the “immense losses from the disaster” and stated that more than 3,000 individuals were engaged in the extensive rescue efforts. Tornadoes are considered rare in Hubei province, with the last recorded instance occurring in May 2021.
Experts attribute the severe weather in Hubei to Typhoon Maysak, which overlapped with the region’s early-summer rainy season. This comes amidst a broader pattern of extreme weather events across China, including severe flooding in the southwest Guangxi region and a recent deadly landslide in the northwest Gansu province.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for comprehensive rescue and relief operations, emphasizing the need for the resettlement of all affected individuals. Since Sunday, Typhoon Maysak has brought significant floodwaters to the Guangxi region, where four people have died and eight remain missing. As of Tuesday afternoon, a local official reported that over 600 people were still awaiting evacuation.
The typhoon delivered record-breaking rainfall to the region, with 24-hour precipitation records shattered in cities like Hengzhou. In one Hengzhou village, the floodwaters presented an additional peril: more than 800 snakes escaped from a flooded snake farm on Monday. Social media videos captured images of snakes poking their heads above the muddy water inundating the village.
While many of the escaped reptiles were identified as non-venomous water snakes and rat snakes, some were highly venomous cobras, as reported by the Xiaoxiang Daily. One villager was bitten and is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, while a team of a dozen locals has formed to capture the escaped snakes, according to the Hongxing report.
Local authorities acknowledged the “immense losses from the disaster” and said more than 3000 people were involved in rescue efforts.
CNN’s Fred He and Shuai Zhang contributed reporting
