An elderly British woman has died after a tornado tore through a hotel and campsite in Portugal. Dozens of Brits were said to have ran for cover as the horror unfolded.
The 85-year-old woman was reportedly camping on the site near Albufeira on the Algarve when the tornado started hurling debris into the air. The storm ripped through the site and a nearby hotel as masonry was whipped into the sky and cars were flipped.
Officials told local media that 21 people were left injured with another person missing from the Parque de campismo de Albufeira site. This missing person was later found dead under the rubble and identified as the elderly British woman. Her name not not yet been released, reports Sun.
(Image: @WX_Advisory/X)
The horror event has been described by authorities as an “extreme wind phenomenon” and was said to be “probably a tornado”. It is believed to be linked to Storm Claudia, which continues to cause chaos across the UK today and expected to continue throughout the weekend, a Civil Protection source said today.
A source from the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command said: “It was a phenomenon of strong winds, an extreme wind phenomenon, that affected two units, a campsite and a hotel unit.”
Police later confirmed a total of 28 people were injured including British, Portuguese and Spanish nationals aged between six and 86.
Most of those hurt were said to be at the Hotel Eden where 19 were injured, including one seriously. Two others were seriously injured at the campsite where the Brit pensioner was tragically found dead.
Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his “solidarity with the family of the victim who died as a result of Storm Claudia’s passage this morning in Albufeira”.
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Albufeira mayor Rui Cristina said: “From the outset, I have been monitoring the situation caused by the windstorm that hit our municipality. Today, I visited the most affected areas, including the campsite, where the scene is truly devastating.
“There are reports of several injuries and one fatality, an 85-year-old British national. On behalf of myself and the municipality, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends.
“We are working with all municipal resources and civil protection agencies to support the victims and restore safety and normality as quickly as possible.”
(Image: @WX_Advisory/X)
Storm Claudia has sparked a major incident after huge amounts of flooding hit Monmouth in South Wales. Fire crews, ambulance services and mountain rescue have been working to carry out rescues and evacuations.
Flooding has also hit part of the West Midlands, while the UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow alert for cold weather for large parts of the country.
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