Italy's Cremona hit by violent tornado, with 43 injured 10,000 cars damaged

A tornado accompanied by hail has caused widespread damage in Cremona, northern Italy, injuring 43 people and damaging at least 10 churches and 10,000 cars.

The storm struck the city on the afternoon of August 28, prompting firefighters to carry out around 100 operations within 10 minutes and mobilising civil protection volunteers, Caliber.Az reports via Italian media.

More than 40 people were injured, although none was seriously hurt. Dozens of homes and buildings were damaged, with at least eight families evacuated after their homes were left without roofs. The structural stability of other buildings will also have to be assessed.

At least 10 churches were damaged, including Cremona Cathedral. Thousands of trees were uprooted, while hail damaged at least 10,000 cars.

The cathedral and town hall, where the upper section of the civic tower collapsed, were among the most visible signs of the damage in the historic centre. The area remained littered with uprooted trees, roof tiles and stones despite an emergency clean-up operation that began at 4am and was still under way.

A meeting between the local authorities and civil protection officials was due to take place to assess the situation. The storm also affected businesses, with three of the fair's four exhibition halls damaged. Many companies and agricultural businesses reported damage to their facilities.

The emergency department at Cremona Hospital treated 43 people following the storm. Most were discharged, one remained under observation and four trauma patients required hospitalisation.

Hospital officials said the injuries were mainly caused by falls or attempts to find shelter from the hail, particularly affecting the head and hands. Four people suffered femur fractures.

None of those treated was in serious condition and no red-code cases, the highest emergency classification, were recorded.

By Aghakazim Guliyev