BEIJING   -  A tor­nado in eastern China killed 10 people and seriously in­jured several others, state me­dia said Wednesday, the latest in a string of extreme weath­er events to strike the country. “Yesterday afternoon, a strong tornado occurred in Suqian, Ji­angsu Province... causing ca­sualties and property loss in certain areas,” state broad­caster CCTV said. The torna­do affected more than 5,500 people, with 137 houses col­lapsing, according to “prelim­inary statistics” cited in the report. More than 400 peo­ple have been temporarily re­located because of the twister, state media said. Video foot­age shared on social media by the state-run People’s Dai­ly showed high winds whip­ping debris around above res­idential buildings, as well as a street strewn with fallen signs and other objects. China saw record-breaking downpours and weeks of historic heat this summer, with scientists saying such extreme weather events are being exacerbated by climate change. Whole vil­lages in Jiangsu were levelled and at least 98 people were killed in 2016 after the region was hit by a storm with hurri­cane-force winds and the worst tornado in half a century.