Debris litters the side of streets and roofs are shattered as the clean-up continues Saturday Aug. 10, 2019, after a tornado passed through the area, in the town of Pettingen, Luxembourg, late Friday. Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel is quoted Sunday Aug. 11, to promise financial aid for victims of the rare tornado that has left a path of destruction in the south of the country. (RTL TV via AP)
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BERLIN (AP) - Luxembourg's prime minister has promised financial aid will be available to help people who had homes damaged or destroyed by a rare tornado.
Luxembourg newspaper Tageblatt reported Sunday that tornado victims would soon be able to access application forms on a government website and quoted Prime Minister Xavier Bettel as saying, "We're ready to take on responsibility."
The Friday tornado injured 19 people. Tageblatt says one of the two with serious injuries suffered a heart attack and was in critical condition.
Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, police officers and volunteers cleaned up debris left behind.
Tageblatt says tornado-related damage has been reported at 314 buildings and around 80 homes are inhabitable.
Tornadoes are very unusual in Europe, where fierce gales that are more the norm also pose danger and cause damage.
A tornado hurls objects, including doors and roofs, through the air, as seen from inside a car with a cracked windshield, in Pettingen, Luxembourg, Friday Aug. 9, 2019. The tornado in the southwestern Luxembourg communities on Friday has left a path of destruction that made up to 100 homes uninhabitable, according to local media reports. (Photo via AP)
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The pilgrimage church 'Unserer Lieben Frau', Our beloved Lady, stands in the morning fog as the sun rises in Steinhaus, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. (Thomas Warnack/dpa via AP)
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Turists cool off in a fountain in St Peter Square, Vatican City, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP)
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Tourists refresh at a fountain on a hot day in Rome's Piazza del Popolo, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. (Claudio Peri/ANSA via AP)
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