China: 5 dead, several injured after tornado rips through Guangzhou city

Five people were killed and 33 injured when a tornado struck Guangzhou, a city with a population of 19 million in southern China. According to authorities, 141 factory buildings sustained damage, but no residential houses collapsed. The tornado was preliminarily assessed to be of level-three intensity, two levels below the highest level of five.

Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, is located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometres) from Hong Kong.

A weather station in Liangtian Village, Baiyun District, which is about 1.7 miles from the tornado's impact point, recorded a maximum wind gust of 20.6 meters per second.

As of 10 pm local time, search and rescue operations had concluded.

The tornado occurred amidst days of heavy rainfall in southern China, causing deadly floods and endangering the lives of tens of millions.