Freak German tornado hits Hamburg, killing two

BERLIN, Mar 28 (Reuters) A rare tornado wreaked havoc in the northern German city of Hamburg today, tearing the roofs off houses, overturning cars and killing two people, authorities said.

The southern district of Harburg was hardest hit by the violent storm, which knocked down three cranes at a construction site, killing two operators, a police spokeswoman said. Two others at the site also suffered injuries, she added.

The whirlwind overturned several cars and trucks and one company building had its entire roof stripped off, local fire services said. Damage to power masts left parts of the city, including a hospital, without electricity.

The tornado caused serious traffic hold-ups in the area, as well as disruptions to rail services. Police said it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage.

In June 2004, two small villages in eastern Germany suffered extensive damage when a tornado tore through them, wrecking houses and leaving hundreds of people with no power.

Reuters PDS VP0143