Tornado rips Havana leaving at least three dead

A rare tornado ripped through three working class districts of Havana around midnight, leaving at least three dead and scores injured, state-run media reported. This was the first twister to hit the Cuban capital in decades.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel tweeted damage was extensive as he toured one of the hardest hit districts, confirming photos and videos of the damage posted on social media. Pictures of destroyed housing, cars and small trucks turned upside down and rubble strewn streets were posted on Twitter under the hash tag #Havanatornado, along with a shot of the huge twister touching down in the city.

The reports of deaths and injuries were preliminary as rescue workers combed through damaged buildings in the blacked-out neighborhoods where much of the housing is dilapidated. (Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Alison Williams)