France tornado: dozens injured and hundreds of homes damaged
This report details the aftermath of a tornado in Pomas, France, which resulted in 39 injuries and widespread property destruction. The storm also forced the cancellation of a stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race due to dangerous hail and wind conditions.
Why it matters
The article documents the severity of the storm and its broad impact on both local residents and international sporting events.
Figure caption, Moment tornado tears through southern France
A tornado has torn through the village of Pomas in south-west France, injuring 39 people and damaging hundreds of homes.
Authorities said 15 people were taken to hospital and two were in a critical condition. One man said his pregnant wife was injured after their house collapsed on her.
More than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the village south of Carcassonne after winds reaching 117km/h (73mph) tore roofs off houses and damaged an estimated 300 homes on Monday.
"Half the village has been destroyed," said one resident called Pierre, who described the tornado as swirling like a "huge red and yellow chimney".
"There's a huge castle and a third of it is has collapsed - even though these are stones that have stood for 1,000 years," Pierre told Ici Occitanie.
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