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Tornado hits Pomas
A powerful tornado tore through the village of Pomas in south-western France, injuring 39 people and damaging hundreds of homes after winds reached 117 kph (73 mph).
“Thirty-nine people were reported injured”
Authorities said 15 people were taken to hospital and two were in a critical condition, while the BBC said the tornado damaged an estimated 300 homes and left about 2,800 homes across 10 villages without electricity.
In the Aude department, the storm struck at about 5:20 p.m. local time Monday, and local media described the tornado as “a huge red-and-yellow chimney.”
The BBC reported that more than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the village south of Carcassonne, and it said the third stage of the Vuelta a España cycle race was cancelled when a hail storm forced riders to take shelter about 15km from the finish line.
Residents describe chaos
A resident named Pierre told local media that “Half the village has been destroyed,” describing the tornado as “a huge red-and-yellow chimney.”
The BBC also quoted shocked resident Chantal saying, “I heard this massive noise... then I saw everything flying around in the air and my roof collapsed over my head,” as she described being left without a house.
CBS News put the injury figure at 41 people and said the tornado hit hardest in Pomas, with a population of 1,000 and damage to an estimated 300 homes.
CBS News added that 15 of the injured were taken to hospital and that the injured included a pregnant woman hurt when her house collapsed on her, while Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and even Paris saw delays and cancellations.
Aftermath and risks
French authorities issued orange alert for thunderstorms in large parts of the country’s south-west, and the BBC said Local sub-prefect Emmanuelle Plantier-Lemarchand told French radio she was not aware of anyone missing.
“Local sub-prefect Emmanuelle Plantier-Lemarchand told French radio”
The BBC reported that she lowered the number of victims from 41 to 39 and said 15 of them had been treated in hospital, while ABC said Aude Government delegation put the toll at 41 people injured with 15 admitted to hospital.
Beyond Pomas, the BBC said flight delays and cancellations at airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and north of Paris were reported by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, and it said the extreme weather left about 2,800 homes across 10 villages without electricity.
The BBC also linked the event to broader instability, noting that France experiences several dozen tornadoes per year on average and that it comes after Europe’s summer of unprecedented heatwaves and wildfires, with France’s south-west region among the worst affected with an area of 42,000 hectares burnt in one of the largest forest fires since World War Two.