Missouri Tornado Kills Multiple People

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a tornado that tore through southeastern Missouri has caused widespread destruction and killed and injured multiple people. Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the tornado moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis, between 3:30 and 4 a.m. Wednesday. He said it caused “multiple injuries and multiple deaths,” but he didn’t say how many or precisely where they occurred. He said a search and rescue operation is underway that involves multiple agencies. Crews are having to use chainsaws to cutback trees and brush to reach homes. The tornado was part of a powerful weather system moving through the Midwest and South.