Storms, tornado leave 98 dead

Members observe silence for those dead in the tornado at a session of provincial political advisors in Jiangsu, which began at 9 am Friday morning. [Photo from web]

Related: Xi orders all-out rescue efforts in wake of deadly extreme weather

NANJING -- Death toll of the tornado and hailstorms in East China's Jiangsu province has climbed to 98, local rescue headquarters said on Friday.

About 800 people were injured, it said.

Intense downpours, hailstorms and a tornado battered parts of Yancheng City close to the eastern coast of China at 2:30 pm on Thursday, destroying buildings, trees, vehicles and electricity poles.

Search for the people through the debris has been completed, said Zhou Xiang, head of the Jiangsu provincial fire corps on Friday.

Cleaning efforts are underway.

More than 1,300 police officers have been called in to assist with the rescue efforts and providing help to the displaced residents.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts and the prioritization of life-saving measures.

The city has activated its highest response system following the extreme weather.

Tornados occasionally hit eastern and southern China during the summer, but rarely with the scale of damage like this one in Yancheng. A similar disaster hit the city in March 1966.

Previous report follows:

Villagers survey the rubble of a collapsed house after a tornado struck Funing in Jiangsu province on Thursday. Provided to China Daily

Nearly 500 injured as extreme weather hits Jiangsu province

Seventy-eight people were killed and nearly 500 injured in disasters caused by extreme weather conditions, including a tornado, in Jiangsu province on Thursday.

Buildings collapsed as thunder, lightning, rainstorms, hailstorms and the tornado struck counties and villages in the city of Yancheng at about 2:30 pm.

By 11 pm, among the 500 injured, about 200 were in critical condition, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang instructed authorities to make every effort to rescue the injured and do everything possible to minimize casualties.

They also called for proper handling of the aftermath, as well as intensified meteorological monitoring and geological disaster assessment.

A State Council work group headed by Vice-Minister of Civil Affairs Dou Yupei rushed to Yancheng. The ministry has sent relief materials, including more than 1,000 tents and 2,000 folding beds, to the affected areas.

Extreme weather conditions were reported in several townships in Funing and Sheyang counties in the suburbs of Yancheng.

Gales of 125 kilometers per hour battered several outer townships in Funing county, while in Sheyang, the winds reached 100 km per hour.

Some regions reported blackouts and interruptions to communications.