At least 98 people have been killed and several hundred injured after a tornado hit eastern China's Jiangsu province on Thursday (23 June). The extreme weather was accompanied by hail, thunderstorms and torrential rains, and winds of up to 125km per hour were recorded in the region.

In what has been the worst weather conditions in the province since 1966, heavy rains continued to hamper rescue efforts. Around 800 people have been injured in related incidents out of which 200 are said to be in critical condition. Power lines in the area have also been disrupted, Xinhua reported.

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Video footage shows injured children being carried on two-wheelers, cars overturned, and a number of homes flattened. President Xi Jinping has ordered "all-out rescue efforts" to help and support people who have been affected by the weather.

Meanwhile, state news agency quoted a local resident as saying, "It was like the end of the world. I heard the gales and ran upstairs to shut the windows. I had hardly reached the top of the stairs when I heard a boom and saw the entire wall with the windows on it torn away."

Earlier this week, floods stuck southern China wherein 22 were killed and more than 200,000 displaced.

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China tornado
Rescue workers lift a tree trunk after a tornado hit Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China, June 23, 2016 REUTERS/Stringer