Shocked by Friday's fierce thunderstorm accompanied by hailstones that killed 10 people, upset residents in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, are asking how the sudden weather collapse caused such enormous damage.
In less than 30 minutes, scores of people were struck by the egg-shaped hailstones. Telecommunications, electricity and water supplies were cut temporarily, and traffic snarled. A number of homes near a gas station were destroyed.
Service hotlines for power, telecommunications and weather received thousands of calls in the wake of the disaster. The mayor 's hotline was jammed with complaints.
The city's deputy mayor Yao Daixian told Xinhua on Saturday that he did not expect such severe damage. "It's really a tough challenge to the government's ability to deal with an emergency," he said, adding that he had demanded stricter housing standards and a higher disaster alert.
By Saturday morning, city departments had not yet finished clearing up and the streets were still covered with broken tree trunks and fallen leaves.
(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2002)
