World

At least 23 people killed in Mississippi tornado and storms

Photo: Reuters

At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured as a tornado and strong thunderstorms swept across Mississippi late on Friday, the state’s emergency management agency said after the twister left a trail of damage for more than 160 kilometers.

Four people were missing as search and rescue teams combed through the destruction looking for survivors after the storm struck Silver City, a town of 200 people in Western Mississippi, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said in a series of tweets.

At least 24 reports of tornadoes were issued to the National Weather Service on Friday night and into Saturday (March 25) morning by storm chasers and observers. The reports stretched from the western edge of Mississippi north through the center of the state and into Alabama.

Photographs of the destruction published by news networks showed entire buildings left in rubble and cars turned over on their sides as people climbed through the debris in darkness.