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Deadly tornado rips through Oklahoma City suburbs Deadly tornado rips through Oklahoma City suburbs
(34 minutes later)
At least 10 people are reported to have been killed after a huge tornado ripped through a suburb of Oklahoma City, destroying a school, sparking fires and flattening whole neighbourhoods. At least 37 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore though the Oklahoma City suburbs, with the death toll likely to rise, the Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office has said.
Dozens were injured when the twister struck the town of Moore. Nearly 60 people, including children, are being treated for injuries in hospitals around the town of Moore.
Rescuers are searching for survivors as scores of primary schoolchildren are believed to be trapped under debris. The tornado sparked fires, flattened houses, and destroyed schools on Monday afternoon.
The twister struck a day after two were killed and 21 more injured by tornadoes elsewhere in the state of Oklahoma. On Sunday, two were killed and 21 hurt by tornadoes elsewhere in the state.
It hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people just south of Oklahoma City, at about 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Monday, and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes. Monday's twister hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people just south of Oklahoma City, and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes.
Children are being pulled alive from the wreckage of Plaza Towers Elementary School there. 'Coming apart'
Volunteers and rescue workers could be seen picking through the rubble in aerial news footage, which showed that entire streets of houses have been levelled to their foundations. President Barack Obama has called Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to offer assistance and has asked her to contact him directly if she needs additional help.
Amy Elliot of the Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office said ten people have been found dead, ABC News reported. At the Plaza Towers Elementary School, children were being pulled out of the rubble alive soon after the storm.
"It's going to take a while to recover from something like this," Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole told CNN. James Rushing said the school, where his foster son Aiden is a pupil, was destroyed by the storm.
"About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart," he told the Associated Press.
Volunteers and rescue workers could be seen picking through the rubble in aerial news footage, which showed entire streets of houses levelled to their foundations.
Hospitals in the area said nearly 60 people had been injured, including more than a dozen children, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday's tornado generated winds of up to 200mph (321km/h).The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday's tornado generated winds of up to 200mph (321km/h).
"It's certainly the most powerful tornado that I've ever dealt with in my 20 years with the weather service," NWS meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman, Oklahoma, told the BBC."It's certainly the most powerful tornado that I've ever dealt with in my 20 years with the weather service," NWS meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman, Oklahoma, told the BBC.
The town of Moore was hit by a severe tornado in May 1999, which had the highest winds ever recorded on earth.The town of Moore was hit by a severe tornado in May 1999, which had the highest winds ever recorded on earth.
But Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told local news station Skynews 9 that the damage on Monday appeared to exceed that of the last devastating tornado.But Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told local news station Skynews 9 that the damage on Monday appeared to exceed that of the last devastating tornado.
Tornadoes, hail and high winds also hit Iowa and Kansas, part of a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota.Tornadoes, hail and high winds also hit Iowa and Kansas, part of a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota.
On Sunday, a tornado smashed a trailer park on Highway 102 near Shawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma's state medical examiner confirmed on Monday that two people had been killed in the area.On Sunday, a tornado smashed a trailer park on Highway 102 near Shawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma's state medical examiner confirmed on Monday that two people had been killed in the area.
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