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This is the shocking moment a tornado struck a monastery during a storm in Georgia.
Footage circulating on social media showed swirling air and towering columns of debris hitting the eastern Kakheti region.
The disaster occurred on Tuesday just metres from the 11th-century Eastern Orthodox Alaverdi Monastery in the Alazani Valley.
Georgia is not a climate that is prone to tornadoes, so people couldn't believe their eyes when the tornado struck.
It only took a few minutes for the tornado to form.
The video shows strong winds morphing into a massive tornado within minutes.
Other footage showed people rushing to take refuge beneath a tunnel near the monastery.
Strong winds caused multiple trees to fall and several vehicles to overturn.
The roof and dome of the Alaverdi Monastery appear to have been damaged.
Visitors to the monastery took refuge nearby.
Jam News reported that the roof on the southern slope of the temple, the tin roof of the bell tower and the tiled roof of the archbishop's house sustained extensive damage.
The temple's windows and western dome were smashed to pieces.
Meanwhile, a balcony at the archbishop's palace collapsed, a cross fell from the cathedral dome, and surrounding infrastructure was damaged.
Fortunately, the tornado moved slowly, allowing people to evacuate to safety and causing no casualties.
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