Tornado rips through homes and a school in the Philippines


A tornado ripped through villages in Pampanga Province in the Philippines on Monday afternoon.

Houses, businesses and a school were among the buildings damaged during the storm which hit the region.

The tornado was filmed ripping through buildings, sending debris into the air. Homes and a school were among those damaged.

Resident Rop Syquia said: "I could feel the force of the tornado and it was scary. We were lucky but many other people suffered."

Manuel Esguerra, Jr., chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said the tornado was caused by a thunderstorm that battered the area.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is still assessing the extent of the damage although no one has been reported as hurt.

Filmer Aljon Gutierrez said: "I saw the tornado here in my home town. It destroyed houses, school structures and cause a power outage on Monday afternoon. It happened at about 1pm."