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600+ homes damaged, 35 people injured as tornado rips through Sidoarja, Indonesia

ByTeo Blašković
600-homes-damaged-35-people-injured-as-tornado-rips-through-sidoarja-indonesia

Featured image: Tornado rips through Tambakrejo Village in the Sidoarja regency, Indonesia on November 22, 2017. Credit: Sutopo Purwo Nugroho / BNPB

A destructive tornado ripped through a densely populated area of East Java province, Indonesia at 08:30 UTC (15:30 WIB) on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, injuring at least 35 people and damaging more than 600 homes. This is the third damaging tornado to hit the country within two weeks and comes after three waterspouts were spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands on October 23, a phenomenon rarely seen in the tropics. Yesterday's event brings the total number of homes damaged by tornadoes in Indonesia within 10 days close to 700. 

According to Dwidjo Prawito of Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency told Reuters that the tornado had wind speeds of more than 70 km/h (35 mph) and was on the ground for about 5 minutes, carving a path of destruction in Tambakrejo Village in the Sidoarja regency, south of the country's second-biggest city of Surabaya.

At least 35 people were injured and more than 600 homes damaged, Prawito said.

The event comes just 6 days after a powerful tornado swept through parts of Kelapa Dua island, north of Jakarta on November 19, damaging 34 homes, and 10 days after another tornado hit Kelapa Dua region on November 14, damaging 21 homes.

Yesterday's event brings the total number of homes damaged by tornadoes in Indonesia within 10 days close to 700. ​

This is the third such event to hit the country within two weeks and comes after three waterspouts were spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands on October 23, a phenomenon rarely seen in the tropics, the National Mitigation Agency reported.

The waterspouts were seen near Opak Island, an uninhabited isle situated close to Kaliage Island.

Three waterspouts spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands, Indonesia

Waterspouts spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands, Indonesia on October 23, 2017. Credit: Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNPB

Three waterspouts spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands, Indonesia on October 23, 2017

Three waterspouts spotted in waters off the Thousand Islands, Indonesia on October 23, 2017. Credit: Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNPB

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.

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