WATCH - Ferocious tornado hits Brazil, hurls vehicles and destroys homes in southern town

A powerful tornado hit the town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu in southern Brazil on Friday (Nov 7) and caused heavy damage to homes, buildings and vehicles. Authorities confirmed that at least six people died and around 750 were injured as it destroyed most of a town. The tornado lasted only a few minutes but brought extremely strong winds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). Aerial images showed that the town was almost destroyed, with damaged houses and debris scattered everywhere.

People have shared the visuals of the destruction on the social media caused by the storm in southern Brazil.

The State of Parana declared a state of emergency on Saturday (Nov 8), saying that about 80 per cent of the town was destroyed.

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Fernando Schunig, head of the Parana Civil Defence, warned that the number of deaths could rise because the tornado hit the center of the town.

“It looks like a war zone," said Schunig to news outlet G1. “When these events hit an urban area, the damage is major. It is very lethal.”

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that the government ministers and disaster-relief teams were being sent to the affected area to check the situation and he also shared his "solidarity" for the affected.

Weather authorities have also issued storm warnings for the states of Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul as more severe weather was expected.

Last year, southern Brazil experienced massive floods in Rio Grande do Sul, which killed more than 200 people and forced two million residents to leave their homes.