BREAKING NEWS

Storm kills 22 people in central China

A storm with gale-force winds killed 22 people and seriously injured 117 in central China, state media said Friday. Heavy rain and winds of up to 108 kilometers per hour swept through Shangqiu and Kaifeng in Henan province Wednesday night, ripping up trees and sending them crashing into homes, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Most of the victims were hit by falling houses or trees, and two were hit by lightning, Xinhua said. The storm destroyed about 9,800 homes and cut water and electricity to more than 3 million people, it said.