Tornado rips roofing from Indonesian construction site, sends workers fleeing

A tornado tore through an industrial site in Batam, Indonesia, ripping roofing from workshop facilities and sending helmeted workers running for cover as weather officials warned that unstable conditions could trigger further sudden storms.The short-lived wind vortex, described locally as a puting beliung, struck VME Process in Tanjung Sengkuang, Batu Ampar, at about 10am on Wednesday, damaging workers’ shelters and scattering construction materials across the site, according to Indonesian media reports.Videos of the incident showed dark clouds over the facility before sheets of roofing and other light materials were lifted into the air, with workers in blue uniforms and safety helmets sprinting away from the falling debris.Batu Ampar police chief Amru Abdullah said no one had been killed or injured, although MetroBatam, citing information from the field, reported that one worker had suffered a minor injury and received treatment from the company’s occupational safety team.