Tornado leaves path of destruction in Jiangmen

Government-led emergency relief efforts are helping a city in Guangdong province that was hit by a tornado rise from the rubble.

A tornado struck Jiangmen on Saturday, injuring four people and damaging more than 100 factories. Twenty-two workshops collapsed, but no deaths have been reported.

Two people suffered bone fractures, one person complained of an ear injury and another person's abdomen was pierced by a steel bar.

All four were in stable condition after they received medical treatment and necessary surgery at Wu Yi traditional Chinese medicine hospital and Xinhui People's Hospital in Jiangmen.

Authorities in the Jiangpeng district have set up a fund of 2 million yuan ($318,071) to help factories rebuild and resume production. The district, which has evacuated 50 people, suffered an estimated economic loss of 100 million yuan over an area of 1 square kilometer, Jiangmen Daily reported on Monday.

Large quantities of fuel worth hundreds of thousands of yuan from Dongrun industrial fuel company were buried under one of the damaged buildings. Anxious to move the fuel to a safe place, the company asked district officials for help on Sunday.

More than 20 employees arrived on Monday morning to help remove the fuel but were turned away, said a company saleswoman surnamed Fan.

The 22 workshops in Xinhui district that collapsed during the tornado were razed. The damage was estimated at 15 million yuan. District officials plan to redesign and rebuild the industrial zone.

The buildings were too weak to withstand the strong winds, Wei Zhiping, Party chief of Xinhui district, told Jiangmen Daily on Sunday. A thorough inspection will be conducted to identify other frail factory buildings, Wei said.

More than 90 factory workers displaced by the damage have been given a temporary place to stay in Qibang village, which is located near the Fengshan industrial zone.

"A few have children with them. The factories helped them find other places to stay. On Sunday night, only a dozen stayed in the village, and by Monday all had left," said Li Bingxiong, the village head.

Village officials are assisting police and rescue workers in repair work and security control, Li said. "Roads are gone in the industrial zone, and covered in rubble. Water and electricity have been shut off, and it will take several more days to restore the supply".

The tornado also damaged several schools. A college entrance exam for adults at Jiangmen Traditional Chinese Medicine School, a secondary technical school, was canceled after the electricity went out. Students living on campus were asked to go home and return after the three-day national holiday, which lasts until Tuesday.

Contact the writer at liyao@chinadaily.com.cn