What happened
A tornado struck the Sicilian city of Marsala on Friday, causing significant damage and injuring several people. The tornado, described as 'violent' by French meteorologist Guillaume Séchet, flipped cars and damaged buildings, including a middle school. Five firefighter teams were deployed to the area for rescue operations, with reinforcement teams arriving from Palermo and Agrigento.
Footage showed cars overturned, with smashed windows, lights, and doors, and one vehicle was flung into a ravine. The Alcide De Gasperi school in Strasatti suffered damage, with fixtures torn off, windows shattered, and cabinets and bookshelves overturned. Several people were treated for injuries, but they are in a non-life-threatening condition.
The Italian fire service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that the tornado caused 'locally significant' damage in the area. A woman who witnessed the tornado described the scene as a 'hellscape,' with people saying that folks have gone missing. The extreme weather event comes as parts of Europe are experiencing storms and flooding, with temperatures plummeting across Italy.
