12 killed as tornados hit Chinese cities

At least 12 people were killed as back to back tornados hit Wuhan city in central China and Suzhou in east China. A tornado hit Shengze town of Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, on Friday night at around 7 pm, leaving four dead and 149 slightly wounded, Chinese state media Global Times reported.

With a maximum wind force of 202 to 220 kilometres per hour, the tornado is rated at EF3 based on preliminary estimates. Also on Friday night, another tornado passed through two districts of Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, killing eight people and injuring 280, the city's emergency management bureau said on Saturday.

Twenty-Seven homes collapsed in Wuhan, and another 130 were damaged. Construction site sheds and two cranes were also damaged, while downed power lines knocked out electricity, Xinhua news agency reported.