Several injured as tornado hits German port city of Kiel

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say a tornado in the port city of Kiel has injured several people. Four people were seriously hurt after Wednesday’s twister. The city’s fire service said dozens of first responders were involved in an operation to rescue a group of rowers who were surprised by the twister as it swept along the Baltic Sea front. Videos posted on social media showed a tree being uprooted and chairs and other objects being sucked into the air by the tornado. German news agency dpa quoted an official Thursday at the country’s national weather agency saying the tornado was likely not very strong. The official said the twister could have caused significantly more damage if it had hit the city center rather than a largely unpopulated area.