HEFEI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were confirmed dead and 98 others were injured in a tornado that hit an east China city on Tuesday, say disaster relief authorities.

    The bodies of seven people, including three from Renhe Township and four from Qinlan Township, were found in the debris of collapsed buildings, the provincial disaster relief office said ina press release on Wednesday.

    All the injured villagers were being treated in local hospitals. Of the ten seriously injured people, one is in critical condition, according to doctors.

    Officials are still calculating the damage to Tianchang City, in east China's Anhui Province, where a tornado packing winds of 100 kilometers per hour destroyed more than 100 homes and forced the evacuation of at least 1,100 people in three villages.

    Vice provincial governor Zhao Shucong led a relief team to Tianchang Wednesday morning, promising relief funds, materials and medical assistance.

    Many Chinese provinces have reported disastrous weather in recent weeks, when flooding hit central and southern China while droughts persisted in the north.

    By Monday, floods had caused 233 deaths and destroyed 118,500 houses in 18 areas, while droughts in the north had left nearly 7.4 million people short of drinking water, the state flood and drought prevention headquarters said.