Fearsome storm ravages Siberian city, ripping roofs from buildings, tossing cars down street (VIDEOS)

A powerful storm has battered the Siberian city of Chita, raining roof tiles and lumber down upon the city streets while tossing cars and mobile garages alike down the road with terrifying ease. At least three people were injured.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that winds of between 25 and 30 meters per second upended trees and crushed multiple vehicles with a barrage of flying debris, with the tempest eventually causing a citywide power outage. 

Eyewitness footage shows the sheer ferocity of the wind as beleaguered residents sought shelter wherever they could.

Thankfully no-one was critically injured in the city, located north of Mongolia in the Zabaykalsky region – which is rather miraculous, as video footage shows the storm tearing multiple roofs from buildings, including a local supermarket, while tossing mobile garages into the air as if they weighed nothing.

One man was hit by a flying piece of debris but received only minor injuries and was quickly discharged from hospital after treatment. The Ministry of Health also reported that one man was blown from his roof and another person was slightly injured by debris.

A car was completely flattened, with the cabin cut in half by a fallen roof, but thankfully the driver and passengers were safely indoors.

53 mobile power plants, with a total capacity of 5,213 kW, were also deployed to the city while workers carried out repairs to restore the electricity supply. 

“Specialists are working, we ask residents of Chita to be understanding – the elements are unpredictable. Unfortunately, wind may increase in the next 24 hours,” warned Yevgeny Batuev, head of the regional ministry of energy.

City authorities now face the grim task of calculating the total damage.

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