Deaths, injuries and damage after tornadoes in US states

At least two people have been killed as tornadoes hit several US states in the Midwest. People have been injured, although it is not yet clear how many. In some places the damage caused by natural calamities is enormous.

Both deaths were reported in the state of Ohio. Police expect more casualties to be recovered from the rubble. Disaster was also reported in Indiana and Kentucky. There are also reports of tornadoes from Missouri and Illinois, but there have been no reports of disturbances there so far.

A trailer park, department store and restaurant were damaged in Winchester, Indiana. Deaths were also initially reported there, but the police later retracted the report. However, there are injuries.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know,” a police spokesman said. “There is a significant number of victims, but I still don’t know how many, where they are or how serious their injuries are.”

Winchester Mayor McCoy said, “I was shocked, it was so loud. “It sounded like a train coming. Then the sirens started going off. I’ve never heard anything like it, and I don’t want to experience it again.”

In the nearby city of Selma, more than half of the buildings were reported damaged. “We are fortunate that there were only a few minor injuries,” said a spokesman there.

See pictures of the damage at various locations here:

Emergency services are still busy with rescue operations and putting out fires caused by downed power cables. A curfew has been put in place to ensure roads are clear for emergency services.

Affected people are housed in schools. The Meteorological Department has also warned that severe weather will prevail in the region.