Hit by Worst Heatwave, Now a Powerful Tornado Strikes

[Anchor]

Southern France, which has been suffering from the worst heatwave and drought on record, has now been struck by a powerful tornado. About 40 people were injured and 300 homes were damaged.

Here is a report from Paris by correspondent Kwon Yeongin.

[Reporter]

Dark clouds descend to the ground, swirling in a funnel shape.

A man desperately holds onto a window, fighting against the fierce winds.

The tornado, grown into a giant pillar shape, completely devastated a village.

A powerful tornado struck the Aude department in southern France on the afternoon of the day before yesterday, local time (the 24th).

So far, about 40 people have been injured, and two are in critical condition.

Some 300 homes were damaged, forcing about 1,000 residents to evacuate to temporary shelters.

[Vanessa / Affected Resident: We saw the tornado coming straight toward us. I thought it was the end. As I tried to lock the door, I had no idea whether I should hide or what I should do.]

A pregnant woman was reportedly trapped under the wall of her house when it suddenly collapsed, but fortunately escaped serious injury thanks to the space beneath a sofa.

Electricity supplies to a total of 1,400 households were cut off, and numerous fallen trees blocked roads in various places.

[Séverine / Affected Resident: We literally ran away. It came right down over us. We ran on instinct; otherwise, we all would have died. As you can see, nothing is left here.]

French meteorological authorities stated that this is a powerful category 3 tornado.

A category 3 tornado occurred across France back in 2022, but this is the first time one has struck the southern Aude department since 1969.

Criticism has also been raised that although thunderstorm warnings were issued for the area, the exact location could not be predicted until a few hours before the tornado hit.

This summer, France's economic damage from the worst-ever heatwave, drought, and wildfires is estimated to exceed 10 billion euros, and damage is continuing to pile up as an unusual, massive tornado strikes even before the summer ends.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.