A tornado swept through the US state of Kansas at the weekend – for three meteorology students THE opportunity to experience their subject in practice. But the trip ends fatally…
Nicholas Nair (20), Gavin Short (19) and Drake Brooks (22) drove more than 400 kilometers to see the tornado. They send their friends at the University of Oklahoma a group selfie from the VW Tiguan – everyone is ready for the storm. And sure enough: On Friday evening you will see the tornado raging through the Kansas plain. As experienced storm hunters, they keep a safe distance.
► The accident happened around midnight: In the heavy rainstorm, the three young men make their way back to Oklahoma City. Around 130 kilometers from their destination, the VW loses traction on the wet road. The students crash into a truck. None of them survived.
Photo: Jaime Green/dpa
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/der-tornado-zerstoerte-die-existenz-numerous-homeowners-in-andover-5789d13fd6254d5a9234475257579c21-79947050/Bild/11.bild.jpg” /> The tornado destroyed the livelihoods of many homeowners in AndoverPhoto: Jaime Green/dpa
The tornado that swept through Kansas over the weekend is one of the deadliest in the state’s recent history. It destroyed more than 1000 buildings and injured eight people, one woman seriously. A Twitter video shows the brutal force of the storm sweeping through the small town of Andover.
Foto: Travis Heying / AP
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/der-tornado-raged-so-violently-dass-autos-in-haeuser-weren-hurled-79ad8f6c641e435f8e00e519c3a1e89d-79948194/Bild/7. image.jpg”/> The tornado was so violent that cars were thrown into housesFoto: Travis Heying / AP
Fire Department Chief Chad Russel says it will be years before the town recovers from the tornado. “Unfortunately, we’ve been through this before,” he told US broadcaster CNN. Flashback: On April 26, 1991, a tornado with at least 513 km/h devastated the Andover area, ripping houses with their foundations out of the ground. 17 people died, 225 were injured. The storm narrowly missed an airfield on which nuclear bombers were stationed.