China tornado death toll rises to 98 people

BEIJING, June 24 (UPI) -- The death toll from the tornado and hailstorms in Yancheng, in Jiangsu province has risen to 98 people, rescue officials said on Friday. The number of injured has climbed to 800.

The twister struck in eastern China on Thursday afternoon as rain and thunderstorms lashed the area about 200 miles north of Shanghai.

The storm destroyed many homes and trapped residents in wreckage, Xinhua reported.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said hundreds remain in serious condition.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was in Uzbekistan when the twister struck, has ordered a massive rescue effort, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. News reports said it's one of the worst natural disasters to hit Jiangsu province since 1966.