A powerful tornado struck districts north of Paris on Monday, causing widespread destruction and claiming one life while leaving four others critically injured, according to French authorities.

The violent storm tore through Ermont, a town located approximately 20 kilometres (13 miles) northeast of the capital, and damaged structures across ten surrounding districts.

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Regional Prosecutor Guirec Le Bras told AFP that the tornado killed a 23-year-old construction worker at a building site. A total of ten people sustained injuries, with four reported in critical condition.

The storm was so powerful that it toppled three large cranes, tore roofs from buildings, and scattered debris across the affected areas.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the event on X (formerly Twitter) as a storm of “rare intensity.”

Videos circulating online captured the terrifying moment when three cranes collapsed within seconds of each other, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air.

Authorities reported that one of the cranes fell onto a clinic, miraculously causing no injuries, while another crashed into a residential building.

Dozens of firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel were rapidly deployed to the disaster site to carry out rescue operations and secure damaged structures.

Officials said investigations are under way to assess the full extent of the destruction and to determine whether the region’s infrastructure safety codes can be improved to mitigate future storm impacts.

Residents described scenes of chaos as the tornado swept through. “The sky turned dark in seconds,” one local said, “and we could hear a roaring noise like a train before everything started flying.”

Meteorological authorities are monitoring conditions closely, warning that the region may face further turbulent weather in the coming days as climate instability increases the frequency of such extreme events across northern France.