One person has died and 10 were injured after a “mini tornado” knocked down three construction cranes in the north of Paris on Monday, authorities said.
A 23-year-old construction worker died on a building site and 10 others were injured, with four left in critical condition, regional prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said.
The head of the prefecture, Philippe Court described the situation as a “violent, sudden windy episode” and labelled it a “mini tornado”.
The twister wreaked destruction on about 10 districts in the French capital, with the town of Ermont, located 20km north-east from the city centre, the worst affected.
The rare weather event struck the Val d'Oise area at 6pm on Monday evening with “a sudden and rare intensity” according to Laurent Nunez, the Interior minister who posted on X.
He stated: “I am following the situation closely and express my support to the elected officials, the rescuers on site, and the affected residents. I extend my condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased victim.”
Three cranes can be seen falling within seconds of each other in footage shared on social media. One crane collapsed on the Clos Fleuri medical-educational institute clinic but did not cause any injuries. Another fell on a residential building, Meteo Express reported.
The tornado also tore roofs off buildings, authorities said.
Firefighters, police and medical professionals were called to the scene shortly after the cranes fell.
A video posted on X showed the impact of the tornado on travel, with the caption: “Apocalyptic scene on the A115 Ermont side today but magnificent scene of mutual aid to lift the motorcyclist and clear the entire road of fallen trees!”
Residents were working to clear the rubble of rooftops, uprooted trees and damaged power lines on Tuesday, according to local media reports.
France experiences between 40 to 50 tornadoes each year, but they are usually weak and don’t cause significant damage.
Meteo-France, the country’s weather service, has emphasised that this tornado is rare but not unprecedented in the Ile-de-France region. It follows a week of heavy and strong winds.
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