Several dozen people have been injured in a tornado that ripped through parts of eastern Japan, tearing off roofs and destroying buildings.
The public broadcaster NHK showed homes destroyed, schools with shattered windows, and a warehouse that had been lifted from its foundations and hurled into other buildings in Koshigaya city, north of Tokyo, AFP reports.
At least 27 people were injured in the city alone, police said on Monday, without giving details on the severity of the injuries.
However, Jiji Press agency says most of the injured were members of a volleyball team at a local middle school.
NHK says a few dozen people were taken to hospital, all with minor injuries.
Power was cut for about 30,000 households in Saitama prefecture, probably after lightning hit the area, Tokyo Electric Power says.
An AFP journalist in the city saw roof tiles scattered all over the streets, with locals outside inspecting their battered homes and emergency vehicles at the scene.
