Video: Restaurant’s staff sent flying into the air during powerful storm in China
By Ryan General
Strong winds in China’s central Hubei Province sent several men soaring through the air while they desperately clinged to a restaurant’s outdoor canopy.
Caught on film: The incident, which was captured on video and has since gone viral on Chinese social media, shows powerful winds blowing away the canopy of a restaurant in the city of Yichang on June 11.
In the harrowing 16-second clip, the men can be seen struggling to hold down the metal struts of the outdoor shelter. The winds, which reportedly reached speeds up to 73mph, eventually overwhelmed the men and hurled some of them into the sky before they were sent plummeting back to the ground.
The aftermath: According to Chinese media, there were no casualties and several of the men are now receiving medical attention at a local hospital due to minor injuries.
One man, identified in some reports as the restaurant owner, landed on a nearby rooftop and is currently undergoing treatment due to fractured ribs. Another individual crashed into a private room but was reportedly uninjured.
The owner, referred to only as Mr. Wang in Chinese media, told local media that he would be refunding 50,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $6,980) to patrons who were not able to enjoy their meals due to the bad weather.
Weather warnings: Chinese authorities had earlier issued warnings about thunderstorms and strong winds to residents of the Yiling district (where the restaurant was located) that day.
The severity of the storm resulted in a lot of property damage and widespread flooding throughout the area. Heavy rainfall inundated parts of southwest China, leading to submerged buildings, impassable roads and substantial losses in agricultural areas.
Local meteorological agencies have reissued a blue alert (the lowest tier on its warning system) for regions such as Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Henan and Hubei.
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