The freak tornado has left one dead and at least nine people injured – including four seriously – after sweeping through an area just a few miles from Paris, sparking a major emergency response
One person has died and at least four people have been seriously injured after a tornado struck an area just 10 miles north of Paris.
Three cranes came crashing down as the freak weather event hit the Val d’Oise region in France this evening, with dramatic footage showing the moment they plummeted to the ground one after another. Roofs were also torn off by the powerful winds, unleashed by what authorities described as a “sudden” and “unusually intense” tornado.
A major emergency response saw 80 firefighters, 50 police officers and 20 members of the ambulance service dispatched throughout residential neighbourhoods in the town of Ermont as they dealt with the impact of falling debris.
The man who died has been identified as a 23-year-old who was working on a construction site hit by the tornado, according to the prefect of Val-d’Oise.
Pontoise public prosecutor Guirec Le Bras, who also visited the site, told AFP: “There are ten victims, including one deceased, a 23-year-old man. He was an employee of the private construction company working on the site.”
Roads and railway lines leading out of the area north of Paris remain closed tonight as the clean-up effort continues. The tornado struck at around 5.45pm local time (4.45pm BST).
The Keraunos observatory, a French meteorological organisation that monitors tornadoes and severe weather events, said the sudden gales appeared to have come from a “supercell-type storm”. This type of thunderstorm is formed of a rotating updraft of circulating air that can sustain itself for hours and produce severe, sometimes devastating weather, including large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes.
French interior minister Laurent Nunez wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “A sudden and unusually intense tornado episode struck several towns in Vald’Oise, causing the death of one person and seriously injuring several others.
“I am closely monitoring the situation and express my support for the elected officials, the emergency services on site, and the affected residents. I offer my condolences to the loved ones of the deceased victim.”