Man swept from 12th floor with his sofa: The horror of the tornado in China

A powerful tornado in China's central Hubei province has shaken the country. The natural disaster caused massive destruction and left hundreds of people injured. One of the most shocking incidents involved a man living in a 12th-floor apartment who was swept into the air along with his sofa and other furniture. This was reported by CNN .

Xinhua news agency reported that during the tornado, which occurred on the evening of July 6, wind speeds reached 260 kilometers per hour . As a result of the disaster, at least 11 people died, and over 331 people sustained injuries of varying severity. Additionally, thousands of homes were severely damaged, vehicles were overturned, and agricultural land suffered significant losses.

Hubei province is one of China's major industrial hubs for the automotive sector. According to official data, the tornado damaged over 4,855 residential buildings . One of the hardest-hit areas was the city of Huanggang. Local media reported that the strong winds swept a 30-year-old man from his 12th-floor apartment along with his sofa, wardrobe, and other furniture. The victim was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit in critical condition.

The force of the disaster was so great that in other parts of the city, several heavy trucks were lifted into the air by the wind and thrown up to 30 meters . Videos circulating on social media show that the tornado also caused major destruction in the nearby city of Ezhou. Five people lost their lives there. Local authorities confirmed that the damage caused by the disaster is immense. More than 3,000 specialists and rescuers have been involved in the relief efforts.

Experts note that such powerful tornadoes are rare in Hubei province. The last similar incident was recorded in May 2021 . This time, the situation was exacerbated by the coincidence of the disaster with summer monsoon rains and the impact of Typhoon Maysak .

Currently, severe flooding continues in the Guangxi region in southwestern China, while deadly landslides have been observed in the Gansu province in the northwest.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered officials on July 7 to maximize the speed of all rescue and relief operations, evacuate affected residents to safe areas, and take all necessary measures.