Tornado kills one, injures 79 in China's Shandong province

BEIJING -- A tornado swept through China's eastern province of Shandong on Friday, killing one person and injuring scores of others, officials said.

Authorities said 79 people were taken to hospitals with injuries of varying degrees in Dongming county.

The tornado swept through the town, uprooting trees and tearing off store signs, according to videos on state media. Large amounts of debris swirled in the air.

Officials are assessing the extent of the damage, state media said.

The China Meteorological Administration issued a tornado warning for parts of Shandong and neighboring Jiangsu province on Friday.

Tornadoes are usually recorded in southern and coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu, according to China Weather News, run by the China Meteorological Administration.