Tornado death toll 116 and rising

Residents of Joplin survey the damage to their homes caused by a tornado (AP)
12 April 2012

A massive tornado that tore a six-mile path across Missouri has killed at least 116 people as it smashed a city, ripping into a hospital, crushing cars and leaving behind only splintered tree trunks where neighbourhoods once stood.

Joplin city manager Mark Rohr, announcing the new death toll, said seven people had been rescued and Missouri governor Jay Nixon said he was "optimistic that there are still lives out there to be saved".

Authorities warned that the death toll could climb as search-and-rescue workers continued their efforts. Their task was made more miserable by a new thunderstorm that brought strong winds, heavy rain and hail.

Much of the city's south-side has been levelled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to ruins by winds of up to 198mph.

Jasper County emergency management director Keith Stammer said about 2,000 buildings were damaged. Joplin fire chief Mitch Randles estimated the damage covered a quarter or more of the city of about 50,000 people some 160 miles south of Kansas City. He said his home was among those destroyed.

An unknown number of people were injured and officials said patients were sent to any hospitals that could take them.

Police officers staffed virtually every major intersection as ambulances screamed through the streets. Rescuers involved in door-to-door searches moved gingerly around downed power lines and jagged debris, while survivors picked through the rubble of their homes, salvaging clothes, furniture, family photos and financial records, the air pungent with the smell of gas and smoking embers.

Some neighbourhoods were flattened and the leaves stripped from trees, giving the landscape an apocalyptic aura. In others where structures still stood, families found their belongings jumbled as if someone had picked up their homes and shaken them.

Mr Nixon had said earlier that he feared the death toll would rise but expected survivors to be found in the rubble.

"I don't think we're done counting," he said. "I still believe that because of the size of the debris and the number of people involved that there are lives to be saved."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT