Deadly tornado rips through Dutch city, causes extensive damage | Watch

A rare tornado ripped through the city of Zierikzee, in the Netherlands, leaving one woman dead and several others injured. A video was shared on social media showing the extensive damage caused by the deadly twister.

One video, made available by Storyful, shows the funnel cloud moments away from reaching the southwestern Dutch city on Monday. Other images showed the tornado itself spiraling towards the ground.

Another video recorded by a Twitter user shows strong winds blowing with debris flying through the sky.

Also Read | Tornado in Gaylord, Northern Michigan kills at least 1, injures 23 others

“The damage is considerable in several streets in Zierikzee. In addition to flying roof tiles and fallen trees, roofs have been blown off four houses,” the Zeeland safety authority said.

One injured person was rushed to the hospital and eight others were treated on-site by paramedics. There had been a “huge deployment” of emergency services, authorities said.

“It got completely dark. Outside you could see everything flying, everything in the air,” Zierikzee resident Freek Kouwenberg, 72, told news agency AFP.

Zierikzee, which is witnessing a stark rise in tourist footfall, sits on one of the bridge-connected islands that comprise Zeeland province. Some of the attractions of this place include a historic fishing harbor and the 15th century “Fat Tower.”

“The whirlwind kept getting bigger. It reminded me of American films, with those storm chasers,” resident Maurice van den Nouweland was quoted as saying by the Dutch national news agency ANP.

Also Read | Tornado batters Kansas, leaves 15,000 without power

“It felt like the room was being vacuumed,” added another resident, Douwe Ouwerkerk, who was at home when the tornado hit. He said he saw “roof tiles, a garden pool, something that looked like a tent” lifted off the ground.

According to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, the last time a fatal tornado struck the Netherlands was in 1992.