78 killed, 500 injured in heavy rains in China

Downpours, hailstorms and a tornado battered parts of Yancheng City, destroying many houses, the city government said in a press release.Extreme weather conditions were also reported from several townships in Funing and Sheyang counties in the suburbs of Yancheng.

Gales of 125 km per hour battered several outer townships of Funing County, while in Sheyang, the winds reached 100 km per hour. Many houses collapsed in the gales, with 51 deaths reported and dozens of injuries. Some regions reported blackouts and communication interruptions.

Witnesses said they saw huge trees falling and whole villages were levelled. Victims were dragged from the ruins of their homes and rushed to hospital, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.