A mini-tornado with winds that reached 130 mph hit parts of Birmingham on Thursday, taking roofs off building, uprooting trees and injuring dozens of people, some of them seriously. The city council set up an emergency centre for people left temporarily homeless as the rescue services helped homeowners clear up the aftermath. The tornado which centred on the King's Heath part of England's second city lasted only a short time but left devastation in its wake. "I saw a huge swirling column of wind coming towards us," Naveed Ahmed, 12, told the Sun tabloid newspaper. "It was three times as high as the house. People were being blown along the street," the schoolboy said. Local residents were evacuated from their homes because of fears that falling debris could lead to more injuries. On Friday, West Midlands police said utility workers will shut down electricity in the morning to help in the clean-up operation. "About 70 percent of households in the Small Heath, Moseley and King's Heath areas of the city will be affected," a spokeswoman said. Store worker Dave Doherty told the Daily Mirror of the panic which gripped people as they realised what was happening. "Within seconds it was chaos. Things were crashing around and stuff was falling off the roof," the 20-year old said. "People started screaming." --mor 1401 Local Time 1101 GMT
