Freak wave of tornadoes kills 1, injures 10 in Poland < br />

2012-07-17 01:15:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

WARSAW, POLAND (BNO NEWS) -- A freak wave of powerful tornadoes tore through northern and western Poland on Saturday evening, killing one person and destroying dozens of buildings, officials said on Monday. Several others were injured.

The most powerful of the storms tore through the Tuchola forest in northern Poland, destroying several kilometers (miles) of trees and killing a 60-year-old man when his summer house collapsed on him. The tornado was reported to be some 800 to 1,000 meters (0.5 to 0.6 mile) wide, destroying 21 houses and 13 other buildings.

"I've been a forester on this land for 37 years, but I've never seen anything like this," resident Janusz Kaczmarek, who was not at home when the tornado hit, told Polskie Radio. "I live in the centre of the damaged area. The whirlwind spared my home, but all of the houses in the area have lost their roofs."

As many as ten other people were also injured as a result of the tornadoes on Saturday.

Poland has historically been vulnerable to tornado outbreaks, but they rarely result in casualties or cause significant damage. In August 2008, at least four people were killed and more than 700 buildings were damaged when eleven tornadoes hit southern and central Poland. It was described as the strongest tornado outbreak in Poland in recent history.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-07-17

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