Chinese authorities said today, Saturday, that a severe thunderstorm has killed 11 people, lost nine and injured more than a hundred others in a coastal city near Shanghai.
The storm, accompanied by strong winds, struck Nantong on Friday evening, on the northern shore of the Yangtze River, the longest river in China.
According to the city council, the storm killed 11 people, injured 102, and evacuated 3,050 residents.
The city council said on the Weibo social network that the victims had died as a result of falling trees, electric poles, or being blown into waterways by winds.
A fishing boat capsized, and 11 crew members were thrown into the water. Only two of them were recovered, while the other nine were lost.
“Many homes have been damaged,” the statement said.
According to the Toutiao.com news site, the storm was accompanied by hailstones ranging from 1 to 3 cm in diameter.
Nantong City, in Jiangsu Province (east), has nearly 8 million inhabitants in its vast territory.