This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22604251
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 7 | Version 8 |
---|---|
Oklahoma tornado: Dozens killed in Moore | |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 51 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore through Oklahoma City suburbs, with the death toll likely to rise. | |
Worst hit was Moore, south of the city, where neighbourhoods were flattened and schools were destroyed by winds of up to 200mph (321km/h). | |
About 120 people, including 70 children, are being treated in hospitals for their injuries. | |
Search and rescue efforts are continuing throughout the night. | |
Monday's twister hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people, and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes. | |
The Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office said children were among the 51 dead. | |
At least two schools were devastated by the high winds, and there are reports that children are still unaccounted for. | |
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said it was a "tragic" day, and that President Barack Obama had called her to offer assistance. | |
More than 200 Oklahoma National Guardsmen as well as out-of-state personnel have been called in to assist the search-and-rescue effort. | |
'Devastating' | |
Shocked survivors spoke of the tornado's power. | |
"We locked the cellar door once we saw it coming, it got louder and next thing you know is you see the latch coming undone," survivor Ricky Stover said. | |
"We couldn't reach for it and it ripped open the door and just glass and debris started slamming on us and we thought we were dead, to be honest." | |
Melissa Newton said: "There's shingles and pieces of sheet rock and wood in our yard and all across our neighbourhood. Some homes are completely gone. It's devastating." | |
James Rushing said he had rushed to the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where his foster son Aiden was a pupil, to see it destroyed by the storm. | |
"About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart," he told the Associated Press news agency. | |
The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday's tornado had generated winds of up to 200mph. | |
"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. |
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
Read the terms and conditions | Read the terms and conditions |