A father and his young daughter are among the at least 23 killed by the damage caused by a tornado and a storm that swept through the state of Mississippi on Friday night.
The Mississippi emergency agency confirmed this Saturday in a tweet that the 23 fatalities had already been found, waiting to continue the search amid massive destruction. There were dozens of wounded and at least four people missing.
"We have numerous rescue teams that continue the search among numerous assets that are scattered on the ground after receiving the impact of the violet bursts," the agency added in its communication.
The father and the girl died after the house where they had taken refuge, with his wife and other children, was hit by strong winds, Monroe County Judge Alan Gurley told NBC. The bodies were found on a property in Wren, about 300 kilometers from Jackson. The woman and her other children were taken to a hospital.
In another county, Sharkey, authorities said there were at least 13 deaths in Rolling Fork linked to the weather phenomenon. "The damage is tremendous, this is horrible," they said.
The trickle of deceased was distributed by other counties of the state, in a large area affected. None of the victims was identified.
Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told the media there was little doubt about the tornado's power given the devastation it had caused. “He has destroyed our city,” he lamented. The search continued among the rubble.
The National Meteorological Service launched the "tornado emergency", a term that is applied when a serious threat to the lives of residents in that territory is detected. They spread a message: "Protect your life, seek shelter immediately."
They still insisted that "your lives are in danger" and specified that "flying debris can be deadly for those who are not refugees." Multiple mobile homes were destroyed. The damage to homes, businesses and vehicles was described as "absolutely extraordinary".
In Silver City they discovered that several residents were trapped in the rubble. In the vicinity of that city, the sheriff's office received numerous calls asking for ransom. "We are in desperate need of assistance to conduct search and rescue," the sheriff's office stressed in a radio call. "There are people who have been left in real traps," warned that spokesman.
