The balance sheet should increase further. At least 25 people were killed as a tornado and thunderstorms passed through the southern US state of Mississippi on Friday evening, the governor of the southern US state said on Saturday. UNITED STATES. "This is a tragedy," state governor Tate Reeves said on Twitter, citing "devastating damage" after the tornadoes ripped through Mississippi for more than 100 miles from west to east. . "The scale of loss and damage is evident in all affected areas today," he said after visiting Silver City, one of the hardest hit cities.
The death toll stands at 25 and dozens injured, according to Mississippi State Emergency Services (MSEMA). Four missing persons "have been found", they added. Search and rescue teams are on the job to find victims.
US President Joe Biden referred to the "heartbreaking images" in a statement on Saturday, stressing that the federal state would do "whatever it can to help", "for as long as it takes".
Mississippi State Emergency Services (MSEMA) further noted on Twitter, "Unfortunately, these numbers are expected to change" upwards. "The state has deployed relief assets in Sharkey and Humphreys counties," about 110 miles north of the capital Jackson, Malary White of the MSEMA told TV.
At least 7 killed after tornado devastates Rolling Fork, Mississippi - WAPT pic.twitter.com/25YnN1V2SK
Television footage showed flattened houses and lots of debris strewn across roads as emergency services tried to reach people in need of help. "My town no longer exists," the mayor of Rolling Fork, a town of some 2,000 people in west-central Mississippi, which was particularly affected by the tornado, told CNN.
According to ABC, at least 13 people died in Sharkey County, along with three in neighboring Carroll County and two others in Monroe County. Separately, a traffic cop in Silver City, Humphreys County, reported one person dead to ABC.
And the number of people who died could greatly increase. Several victims were located and removed from the debris of their homes, to be taken to hospitals and treated. "Houses that have been torn away can be replaced, but you cannot replace a life," said Eldridge Walker.
Rolling Fork resident Shanta Howard told local broadcaster WAPT, "I thought I was dead" after the tornado hit. "We had to help get dead bodies" out of houses, she said.
"The losses will be felt in these cities forever," Governor Tate Reeves tweeted, asking to pray for the victims and their families.
At least twenty three Mississippians were killed by last night’s violent tornados. We know that many more are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active. The loss will be felt in these towns forever. Please pray for God’s hand to be over all who lost family and friends.
“We heard a noise, like it was a train, for 45 seconds to a minute; then it was over," Woodrow Johnson, a local Humphrey County official, told CNN of the tornado. Visibly moved, he said he lost his house. "We are strong, we will persevere, and we will recover," added Woodrow Johnson.
In neighboring Mississippi, Alabama, thunderstorms were also particularly intense and a man died after his trailer overturned, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office said.
"In terms of the extent of the damage, we won't dispose of that until daybreak," Malary White said. “Our priority at this point, especially for the emergency services, is (to ensure) the safety of lives and to locate people to verify that they are safe,” she explained on the channel. local WJTV, affiliated with CBS News.
Tornado warnings were issued Friday in several counties across the state, but as of 2:48 a.m. (0748 GMT) Saturday, the National Weather Service (NWS) branch in Jackson said "the tornado watch was lifted overall. of the area concerned". "Further showers and more thunderstorms are expected in our area," he tweeted, noting that "forecast shouldn't be heavy."
