Tornado kills 5 people, damages factories in China’s Guangzhou

In this image taken from video and released by Li Jiayi, storm clouds and strong wind are seen over the Baiyun district in the southern Chinese’s city of Guangzhou on April 27, 2024. A tornado struck the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday, killing some and damaging factory buildings, state media said. (Li Jiayi via AP)

BEIJING — A tornado struck the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday, killing five people and damaging more than 140 factory buildings, state media said.

The China Meteorological Administration said the tornado struck about 3 p.m. in the Baiyun district of Guangzhou, a sprawling metropolis and manufacturing center near Hong Kong.

Videos posted online showed a mid-afternoon sky darkened by storm clouds and debris swirling up into the air.

READ: China braces for more harsh weather after tornado kills 10

Authorities said that another 33 people were injured and 141 factory buildings were damaged, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Tornado warnings were issued for other parts of Guangzhou and there were unconfirmed reports that a second tornado appeared to have hit another district in the city later in the afternoon.

READ: Rescuers search rubble in east China after tornado kills 78

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Guangzhou during an official visit to China earlier this month. The city, formerly known as Canton, also recently held the Canton Fair, a major export and import exhibition that draws buyers from around the world.

In September, two tornadoes killed 10 people in Jiangsu province in eastern China.