16 killed as tornadoes hit southern US
Severe spring storms including tornados have left 16 people dead and destroyed school buildings and homes in southern states of the US.
The storm did most damage in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama.
Among those killed were two elderly sisters in the Oklahoma town of Tushka, where at least 25 people were injured.
In Alabama seven people died, including a mother and her two children. The other seven deaths were in rural areas of Arkansas.
The storms ripped up trees and power lines, tore roofs off houses, and scattered tractor-trailers across roads.
Yesterday local officials confirmed 7 people had died in Alabama, adding to the earlier deaths in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
While several tornados were reported, much of the damage in the south was attributed to straight-line winds - sudden, violent downbursts that struck with hurricane force in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile in Texas, a firefighter was killed while battling wildfires fanned by the strong winds.
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