A rare tornado that hit Kaiyuan, Tieling in Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Wednesday afternoon has killed 6 and injured 120 as of press time.

An industrial zone in the Tiexi district of Kaiyuan was the most severely-hit, with private vehicles upturned and windows in residential compounds shattered. Power in some areas of Tiexi district was also cut by the extreme weather, The Beijing News reported. 

Search and rescue work has begun after the local emergency management department received a report that some were stuck under the ruins of factory buildings, the Beijing News said. 

Multiple trees were uprooted at a highway in the city, Liaoning local media reported.

Ambulances, firefighters and police have been also dispatched.

The strong cyclone occurred from 5:45 pm to 6:30 pm on Wednesday. 

It had a peak wind speed of 23 meters per second at 5:46 pm.

Experts at the Liaoning provincial weather bureau are studying the cause of the tornado, which is rare in the region. 

Global Times