A tornado tears through a village in southern France, injuring 39 and wrecking 300 homes

A powerful tornado struck the small village of Pomas in southern France on Monday, causing extensive damage and injuries. The village, home to approximately 1,000 residents, suffered the destruction of around 300 homes and damage to numerous cars. Rescue efforts were ongoing as of Tuesday, but as of the evening, no fatalities had been reported. The incident left 39 people injured, with 20 of them hospitalized and none in critical condition, according to the local government head.

The town's school sustained partial damage but will remain open for the start of the September school year, with children able to attend classes in nearby municipalities. The broader Aude department, where Pomas is located, still had about 1,400 households without power on Tuesday morning. At the time of the tornado, the region was under a thunderstorm alert with wind gusts exceeding 100 kilometers per hour recorded nearby. Although a few dozen tornadoes occur annually in mainland France, most are of low intensity.