Seven killed as tornado and hailstorm hit China

A total of 3,684 people were evacuated after 28 townships of Suihua City, about 120 km from the provincial capital Harbin, were hit by violent weather around 3 pm yesterday, Suihua's emergency response office said in a statement.

The twister tore through eight townships of Hailun city under the jurisdiction of Suihua, killing one person.Minqiang Village of Gongrong township was hit the hardest, with the roofs of every house uprooted, Xinhua news agency reported.Five people from Suihua city's Beilin District and one from Suihua's Lanxi County were killed, it said.As rescue work is underway, two hundred quilts and more than 500 kg bread have been sent to the affected Beilin District.