Tornadoes and powerful storms tear through the southern Czech Republic, killing three people.

On Thursday, a rare tornado and strong storms blasted the Czech Republic's southern border, destroying parts of certain towns, killing at least three people, and wounding scores more, according to emergency services and media. The tornado, which was observed in villages around Hodonin, 270 kilometers southeast of Prague near the borders of Slovakia and Austria, may have reached wind speeds of more than 332 kilometers per hour, according to a Czech Television meteorologist.

That would make it the strongest tornado in the country's modern history and the first since 2018. Storms ripped roofs off houses and other structures, blew out windows, flipped automobiles, and strewn debris through the streets. Workers from the rescue services took a break amid the rubble in the market town of Moravska Nova Ves after working all night.

According to a representative for the South Moravia region's ambulance service, three individuals perished in the storms, and scores were injured. According to a spokeswoman for the Czech emergency services, up to seven small villages were "massively" devastated. Hrusky, a municipality official, stated that half of the town had been practically leveled to the ground.

Search and rescue crews fanned out in the area, with Austria and Slovakia also sending emergency units to assist.