Tornadoes wreak havoc in US cities, claim 11 lives

Washington: Tornadoes swirled through cities in the US states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, claiming the lives of at least 11 people, injuring several others, and destroying buildings, power and gas lines, and a fuel station where many people were sheltering, reports said.

Severe storms had formed over the states, where temperatures are running high, on Saturday night (local time), with Texas' Cooke County, north of Dallas, and Denton County among the worst-affected areas, accounting for seven fatalities, the BBC reported. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told local media that authorities feared that the toll was likely to rise.

Meanwhile, search and rescue operations were on and they were hopeful of finding survivors, he added. Footage on local media showed a fuel station almost completely destroyed, with twisted metal and damaged vehicles. In Oklahoma, two people were killed in Mayes County and six others were injured, the BBC reported, citing the local emergency management authority. Two deaths, including of a woman, found dead in her wrecked house, were reported in Arkansas, as per US media reports.

Police officials in Arkansas's Rogers city said they had rescued several people who were trapped after tornadoes downed trees and power lines, and damaged gas supply lines. The tornadoes also affected surface traffic across Texas, leaving lorries overturned and major highways shut, while the power supply was snapped as many poles were uprooted. Officials said that it could take days to restore services.

Parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee were at risk of severe weather on Sunday, after the havoc in the three states, as per reports.

Source: IANS