NANJING -- Three people were killed and 22 others injured after a strong gale struck East China's Jiangsu province on Wednesday afternoon, according to local authorities.

A pedestrian was hit by a falling advertisement board and died in hospital in Wuxi city.

The strong gale hit Funing county, Yancheng city, with a detected maximum speed of 110 km per hour, according to the county's meteorological observatory.

In Funing, gale-triggered accidents left two dead and 22 others injured, a county publicity official told Xinhua. The dead were a tower crane operator who died after the crane collapsed, and a resident who was hit by an outdoor board.

Rescue work is underway.