Tornado in Russia’s Far East Kills 1, Injures 30

Authorities in Russia’s Far East have declared state of emergency in the wake of a powerful and rare tornado that killed one person and left dozens injured.

A tornado swept through the city of Blagoveshchensk on Sunday night, killing one person and injuring nearly 30. The Emergency Ministry says in a statement it tore off roofs from nearly a hundred houses and damaged 150 cars.

Anton Ivlev, spokesman for the governor of the Amur region, told Russian news agencies on Monday that the province has declared a state of emergency to speed up rescue efforts.

Authorities in the Amur region estimate the damage at 80 million rubles ($3 million).

Tornados are extremely rare in Russia, and local meteorologists say it is the first tornado in a a Russian city ever, according to weather records.