Tornado damages Var properties

Village residents escape without injuries, but tornado caused major damage to homes and cars

Published Wednesday 30 November 2016 - 15:40 Modified Wednesday 30 November 2016 - 15:40

RESIDENTS in a village in the Var are counting the cost of damage to their properties today, after a tornado hit on Saturday evening.

Violent winds of up to 200kph battered homes around Rians, on the border with the Bouches-du-Rhône, near Aix-en-Provence.

The mini-tornado lasted for about four minutes. According to TF1 News, there were no reported injuries but major damage to about 20 homes and cars.

Residents were evacuated by pompiers and will return to the village today to examine the aftermath.

The area is expected to be classified as a natural disaster zone, allowing people to claim for the damage on their home insurance policies.