Paderborn, a city in western Germany, was hit by a tornado on Friday. 38 people were injured as a result. Ten of them are in serious condition, police said.
The tornado also caused a lot of material damage in the city, which is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Several homes were damaged and trees fell.
In the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a 38-year-old man was killed after being electrocuted when he entered his flooded basement and fell on his head. This was announced by the police in the city of Koblenz. Train traffic in the west of the country was disrupted and the authorities called on people to stay indoors.
The city of Lippstadt, which is about 30 kilometers west of Paderborn, was also probably hit by a tornado, according to the fire department. No one was injured there, but the tower of the city’s church was destroyed by the high winds. At least 120 visitors to the pool were temporarily trapped because fallen trees blocked access. The fire brigade rescued them.
In the southern state of Bavaria, 14 people were injured when the roof of their building collapsed. Two of them, a woman and a child, are in bad shape.
The storm first hit the west of the country and is now moving east.