Tornadoes rake 2 American cities, killing 2 and injuring 29

World
Europe

00:59

A tornado leveled a motel and tore through a mobile home park near Oklahoma City overnight, causing the death of two people and injuring at least 29 others before a second twister raked a suburb of Tulsa more than 160 kilometers away, authorities said Sunday.

The first tornado touched down in El Reno late Saturday night, about 40 kilometers west of Oklahoma City. It then crossed an interstate freeway, destroyed the American Budget Value Inn and ripped through the Skyview Estates trailer park, flipping and leveling homes, Mayor Matt White said at a news conference.

The two people killed were in a mobile home park, he added, without providing additional details about the victims.

The 29 people who were injured were taken to hospitals, where some were undergoing surgery. Some of the injuries were deemed critical, White said.

Aerial image shows the extent of destruction after two tornadoes hit El Reno city in Oklahoma, U.S., May 26, 2019. /VCG Photo

The National Weather Service gave the tornado an EF3 rating, meaning it had wind speeds of 219-266 kilometers per hour. Personnel who investigated the damage said the tornado began late Saturday night and lasted for four minutes. It was about 68.6 kilometers wide at its widest point and was on the ground for 3.5 kilometers.

The tornado was spawned by a powerful storm system that rolled through the Southern Plains and Midwest, killing at least 11 people, including the two in El Reno.

Early Sunday, another tornado walloped several buildings and downed trees and power lines in the Tulsa suburb of Sapulpa, about 177 kilometers northeast of El Reno. Sapulpa Police Department said on its Facebook account that it hadn't heard of any deaths and only a few minor injuries had been reported.

Source(s): AP