"War zone" in Sicily: the tornado that destroyed a school and sent cars flying | Watch

A severe tornado struck Sicily on Friday, injuring 11 people, some critically, and destroying a school in the city of Marsala. The mayor described the scenes as a "war zone." 273 students were in the school during the storm; six were evacuated to a hospital. A couple was swept with their car into a ravine, and a 70-year-old man is hospitalized in critical condition.

A severe tornado struck Sicily on Friday, October 9, 2026, causing heavy damage in the city of Marsala in the province of Trapani. Eleven people were injured, some critically. The mayor, Andreana Patti, described the scenes as a "war zone" after homes were destroyed and cars were blown off the road. The most dramatic damage occurred at the "Alcide De Gasperi" school, where 273 students were present when the storm hit. The teaching staff managed to move the students to interior spaces while windows shattered and parts of the ceiling collapsed. Six students were evacuated to the hospital. A couple traveling in their car in Petrosino was hospitalized in serious condition after their vehicle was swept into a ravine. A 70-year-old man was transferred to the trauma unit in Palermo in critical condition with multiple fractures. The head of the Civil Protection Agency in Sicily, Salvatore Cocina, said "it was almost like an American tornado." The president of the Sicily region, Renato Schifani, announced that he would allocate emergency funds for reconstruction.