A tornado struck western Germany Friday night, leaving at least one dead and more than 50 people injured and causing heavy damage in the country.
NOW – Rare tornado rips through towns in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, during a heavy storm.pic.twitter.com/z8HBqXtoKc
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Police said up to 40 people had been injured in Paderborn, “10 of them seriously.”
“Sheeting and insulation were blown kilometers away. Countless roofs are uncovered or damaged. Many trees still lie on destroyed cars,” police added.
In the nearby town of Lippstadt, more than 100 people were temporarily trapped at a local outdoor pool after fallen trees blocked the exit.
“The entire town area suffered heavy damage,” Lippstadt’s fire service said.
In Ballenstedt, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, two French citizens died after a strong gust of wind caught their motorized paraglider shortly after taking off.
Das erste Mal das ich in NRW einen #Tornado sehe. #Unwetter #Unwetterwarnung #Gewitter pic.twitter.com/MHOA4rBGru
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“They appear to have been hit by a gust of wind that caused the paraglider to collapse, and the air vehicle crashed onto a field from a height of about 40 meters (131 feet),” police said.
Media outlets reported that the injured included several children and a 37-year-old woman, who was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. Large swathes of Germany were under severe weather alerts on Friday evening.
