MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuba: Three dead and 170 injured after tornado passage through Havana

The storm hit the north-western coast of Cuba with gusts of wind over 100 kilometers per hour (60 mph)

At least three people lost their lives and more than 170 were wounded on Sunday night by the onslaught of a tornado in Havana as a result of an extratropical drop from the Gulf of Mexico that transits the territory of the island, local media confirmed.

Several municipalities of the Cuban capital were lashed on the night of January 27 by the strong tornado.

The local radio station Radio Reloj confirmed that so far damages are reported in public facilities and in the residential sector, while there were slight floods in several sectors of the Malecón in the capital and in other low areas of the island's coastline.

Estamos recorriendo lugares afectados por fenómeno atmosférico de gran intensidad en Regla. Los daños son severos, hasta el momento lamentamos la pérdida de 3 vidas humanas y se atienden 172 heridos. Varias brigadas trabajando ya en el restablecimiento #SomosCuba pic.twitter.com/mPo9yAnaZy

— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) 28 de enero de 2019

The storm hit the north-western coast of Cuba with gusts of wind over 100 kilometers per hour and hail was reported in some areas.

“The magnitude of the weather phenomenon and its affectations are valued to be informed in the next few hours,” warns the Cuban Meteorology Institute, quoted in the Radio Reloj note.

”We are visiting places affected by high intensity atmospheric phenomena in (the municipality of) Regla. The damages are severe, so far we regret the loss of 3 human lives and treated 172 injured. Several brigades working already in the restoration”, published President Miguel Díaz-Canel on his Twitter account.