'I called for my wife but there was no response': 3 die in China after strong winds blow them out of apartment building

One moment, they were asleep. The next, they were falling to their deaths.

Three people in China died in the early hours of Sunday (March 31) morning, after strong winds swept them out of their apartments, reported Chinese media.

Residents of a high-rise apartment building in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, were jolted awake when the thunderstorm struck at around 3am, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the city.

A total of four people were killed and over 10 were injured after the storm, reported China Central Television (CCTV). 

Those who had fallen to their deaths are said to be a 64-year-old woman and her 11-year-old grandson who lived on the 20th floor of the building, as well as a 60-year-old woman who lived on the 11th floor.

Photos of the incident started circulating on Chinese social media on Monday, showing shattered windowpanes and air-con condensers dangling from the affected residential complex. 

A resident named Xu, who had lost his mother and son in the tragedy, told Chinese media that he was awakened by a loud noise, and rushed to check if his family was safe.

When he went to the room the pair was sleeping in, he discovered that they had gone missing, and the window and mattress had been blown away.

Xu and his other family members took refuge in their bathroom till the strong winds subsided.

He then went downstairs to check on the situation — and found the bodies of his mother and his son.

The husband of the third victim, surnamed Wan, said he had woken up to the sounds of a thunderstorm, and saw that the living room was in a mess.

"I immediately ran to my wife's room and called for her, but there was no response," he recounted. His wife was nowhere to be found in the apartment.

"When the wind slowed down, I noticed that the window was gone and heard cries from downstairs. My mind went blank," said Wan.

The Nanchang City government confirmed the two incidents where three individuals were blown out of their apartments by the strong winds, reported Shanghai Daily.

According to the China Daily, the cause of the fatalities remains unknown, and local authorities are investigating.

The authorities issued another weather alert on Monday afternoon, warning of another severe convective weather expected to strike the city this week.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com