Italy: Tornado hits southern island, kills 2

The tornado on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria killed two, injured at least nine, swept up cars and knocked down trees.

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A tornado hit a small Italian island in the Mediterranean on Friday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring at least nine.

The largely arid island lies between Sicily and Tunisia and has just a few thousand inhabitants.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, an off-duty firefighter who was stationed on the island and an 86-year-old man were among the dead.

The victims were in separate cars which were among some 10 vehicles that were flipped into the air by the force of the tornado, ANSA added.

At least one car landed on its roof while another ended up on its smashed front end.

Video from the civil protection agency showed images of several overturned vehicles and a building hit by a car thrown in the air.

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Meanwhile, a hospital helicopter from nearby Lampedusa island was prepared to provide help once the weather conditions improved, ANSA reported.

mm, dvv/dj (AFP, AP, dpa)