Tornado leaves trail of destruction in western Germany

A rare tornado hit a populated area in western Germany, leaving a trail of destruction in the area west of Duesseldorf and injuring at least two people, officials said on Thursday.

Several houses were severely damaged while dozens of trees fell on cars, forcing police to cordon off roads to the town of Boisheim, a district spokesman said.

A motorist was seriously injured and a firefighter suffered an electric shock, the spokesman added. Police also said one person was seriously injured.

The tornado on Wednesday hit several towns.