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Missouri weather: Tornado kills three people in Golden City | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
At least three people have been killed as tornadoes sweep across Missouri in the US Midwest, local officials say. | |
The fatalities were confirmed in Golden City, 170 miles (270km) southwest of state capital Jefferson City. | The fatalities were confirmed in Golden City, 170 miles (270km) southwest of state capital Jefferson City. |
A tornado struck the state capital itself, bringing heavy rain, hail, wind and lightning. | |
Extensive damage has been reported around the state, and officials say several people were injured in Carl Junction near the border with Kansas. | |
Storms have also hit neighbouring Oklahoma and Texas. | |
Emergency sirens were activated in Jefferson City - home to around 43,000 people - and the storm was spotted 20 minutes later. | |
Images on social media show buildings ripped apart, power lines downed and trees uprooted. Thousands are believed to be without electricity. | |
More storms are expected to hit the Midwest on Thursday and Friday. | |
Emergency officials have warned of flash flooding, and are reportedly carrying out door-to-door searches amid reports of trapped residents. | |
On Thursday morning, tornado warnings remained in place outside St Louis, in eastern Missouri. | |
Earlier, the US National Weather Service issued a rare "high warning" for severe storms in the region. | |
"It's a chaotic situation right now," Jefferson City Police Lt David Williams told reporters. "We need people who are not affected to stay out of those areas". | "It's a chaotic situation right now," Jefferson City Police Lt David Williams told reporters. "We need people who are not affected to stay out of those areas". |
The storms on Wednesday hit on the eighth anniversary of a tornado which killed 161 people in Joplin, a city in southeast Missouri. | |
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