Violent tornado rips through the city of Dolores, killing 4 and injuring hundreds, Uruguay

A very destructive tornado ripped through the southwestern Uruguay city of Dolores on April 15, 2016, killing four people and leaving more than 200 injured.

The tornado hit the city about 19:00 UTC (16:00 local time), overturning cars, shattering windows and destroying buildings.

Sen. Guillermo Besozzi said there are businesses in the center of the city completely destroyed. "There are schools and churches destroyed. More than 200 people suffered injuries, and about 400 structures have been affected."

"This is something never seen before. It is out of the normal for our country," Besozzi said.

Una zona de guerra. Duele solo de verlo. Así que quedó #Dolores tras la turbonada. #FuerzaDolores. pic.twitter.com/ZN0sKGHziC

— Alejandro Etcheverry (@UruAlejandro) April 15, 2016

@jaxregal Más de los daños en Dolores pic.twitter.com/fl1PkOwJp6

— Mauro Bettega (@jaxregal) April 15, 2016

Tornado en Dolores, Soriano pic.twitter.com/U6psQrJA8C

— Mauro Bettega (@jaxregal) April 15, 2016

Mariela Umpiérrez, a resident of Dolores, told CNN en Español that her house, office car and those of her relatives were damaged. 

"The images seems taken out of a movie, but not from reality," she said.

Besozzi added some people have been arrested for looting during the disaster.

Featured image: Tornado in Dolores, Uruguay on April 15, 2016. Credit: Juan Carlos Jaume Jackson / YouTube