Indian man among two killed as tornado strikes Italy

Rome: An Indian man was among two people who were killed after a powerful tornado hit the outskirts of the Italian capital, wounding several others and knocking down trees, damaging buildings and causing floods in the north of the city.

Surinder Singh, 47, died yesterday after part of a church's facade fell off and hit him in Ladispoli, a coastal town west of Rome, local media reports said today.

The other victim, a 74-year-old retired army colonel, died after he was hit by a tree in the town of Cesano, near Lake Bracciano, one of the areas most affected by yesterday's storms.

Several homes were badly damaged in the storm.

Ladispoli Mayor Crescienzo Palliotta said 10 people were wounded in the coastal town, including three who were in serious condition, and about 100 buildings reported significant damage.

The storm also knocked down 70 trees and flooded several streets in the southern part of the capital.

The tornado struck as Italy continues to grapple with the damage done to central regions by three powerful earthquakes in just over two months.

About 60 aftershocks - all above magnitude 2 - were registered since the early hours today in areas of the Marche, Umbria and Lazio regions that have been hit by a series of recent quakes.