MOSCOW, May 22 (Itar-Tass) - An emergency situation has been introduced in the town of Yefremov in the Tula region, which is located some 300 km to the south of Moscow.
Wednesday afternoon, the town became the scene of a tornado, the municipal authorities said.
According to a report by the regional branch of the Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense /EMERCOM/, about 100 residential houses and social facilities have been damaged in the downtown and southern districts of Yefremov. The gale blew out window glass, ripped off roofing sheets and felled the trees and light posts.
Early reports say sixteen people, three children among them, turned for medical assistance and one person had to be admitted to hospital.
“Most of the injured received broken glass cuts,” the Yefremov municipality said in a report.
‘We’re keeping the situation under full control and getting prompt data from all other parts of the town,” Tula region Governor Vladimir Gruzdev said. He promised urgent steps to eliminate the aftermath of the tornado within the shortest possible period of time.
All in all, more than 400 people are engaged in the efforts to eliminate the aftermath and the authorities are building up the grouping. Priority is given to removing fallen trees from the streets and drawing up an assessment of the damage.
Reports from the Tula region say local businesses have thrown their shoulder, too, into the operation to normalize the situation.
Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov and Gov Gruzdev spoke to President Vladimir Putin over the phone to inform him about the situation in Yefremov.