Missouri tornado: storm leaves trail of destruction and at least four people dead in Midwestern state

This storm comes just days after another deadly tornado swept through the Midwest, killing at least 26 people and causing catastrophic property damage
The Missouri tornado comes just days after a devastating tornado in nearby Arkansas (Photo by Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)The Missouri tornado comes just days after a devastating tornado in nearby Arkansas (Photo by Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)
The Missouri tornado comes just days after a devastating tornado in nearby Arkansas (Photo by Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)

A tornado has ripped through south-eastern Missouri and caused widespread destruction in the United States, and authorities report at least four people have been killed.

The tornado moved through a rural area in Bollinger County, about 50 miles south of St Louis, in the early hours of Wednesday morning (5 April). Sergeant Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol told the Associated Press it has caused “multiple injuries and multiple deaths”, with the death toll expected to rise.

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“The damage is pretty widespread. It’s just heart-breaking to see it,” he added. Parrott said a search and rescue operation involving more than 20 agencies is under way, with crews having to use chainsaws to cut back trees and brush to reach homes.

“It’s going to be a slow process but for now it’s an active search and rescue,” he said.

The patrol posted an overhead photo of the damage that showed uprooted trees and damaged and destroyed homes. Drone footage showed that some had been turned into piles of debris and splinters.

Larry Welker, Bollinger County’s public administrator, said the twister travelled along route 34 into Glen Allen, a village of just over 100 people. “I’m getting reports that it was pretty bad,” he said. He described it as a rural area, where residents mostly farmed, cut timber or worked construction jobs.

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“There was several trailers there, and I understand that there is still people missing,” Mr Welker said.

Justin Gibbs, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Kentucky, said the tornado remained on the ground for roughly 15 minutes, traveling an estimated 15 to 20 miles. A weather service team was headed to Bollinger County to gather more details, but Mr Gibbs said it is clear “it was big. It was a significant tornado”.

He noted that tornadoes are especially dangerous when they touch down late at night or early in the morning, as this one did. “It’s definitely a nightmare from a warning standpoint,” Mr Gibbs said. “It’s bad anytime, but it’s especially bad at 3:30 in the morning.”

The storm comes just days after another deadly tornado swept through the Midwest, killing at least 26 people and causing catastrophic property damage across Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana. A weather system which could cause more tornadoes is still making its way across the area.

Additional reporting by AP.

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