One person was killed and around 15 others have been injured
A violent storm swept through the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds in northwestern Switzerland on Monday, killing one person and injuring around 15 people, AFP reported. Though the storm did not last long, but the strong gusts of wind caused significant damage. Vehicles were damaged, roofs were torn off and trees uprooted. The rail network and bus services were also affected.
According to the Swiss weather service, it was "a probable tornado associated with a rapidly developing thunderstorm cell along the Jura" that hit the Swiss town along the French border.
"Wind gusts of 217 km/h were recorded by our station at La Chaux-de-Fonds aerodrome this Monday morning, under a thunderstorm cell that suddenly strengthened as it reached the region," MeteoSuisse said on Twitter.
Several videos have surfaced on social media showing the intensity of the tornado.
Watch the videos here:
The storm "unfortunately caused the death of one person in their 50s following the toppling of a construction crane. About 15 injured people were taken care of by the emergency services", the Neuchatel police said.
Rescue and clean-up operations are underway, while the Neuchatel police urged people not to expose themselves to risks such as falling tiles or trees.
It also warned that further storms were likely and urged people to avoid going outside.