Tragic Tornadoes Devastate Shandong Province

Five people have been confirmed dead, and 88 injured after tornadoes hit Heze city in Shandong, China. The storms damaged 2,820 houses, 48 power lines, and over 4,000 hectares of crops. Authorities have since restored communication, power, and water supplies.

Five people were confirmed dead after tornadoes struck a city in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, according to local media reports Saturday.

Tornadoes struck parts of the city of Heze on Friday afternoon, including the counties of Dongming and Juancheng, injuring 88 people. That includes five who were later confirmed dead, according to the state-owned Xinhua news agency.

Authorities said that 2,820 houses, 48 power supply lines and over 4,000 hectares of crops were damaged. Communication, power and water supplies have since been restored, state media said.

Tornadoes are usually seen in China's southern and coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu, according to China Weather News, run by the China Meteorological Administration.

(With inputs from agencies.)