WASHINGTON — At least eight people were killed as tornadoes created havoc in the US states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, destroying buildings and a fuel station where scores of people were taking shelter and leaving thousands of people without power, reports said on Sunday.
Severe storms had formed over the states, where temperatures are running high, on Saturday night (local time), with Texas' Cooke County, north of Dallas, among the worst-affected areas, the BBC reported.
Local Sheriff Ray Sappington told local media that at least five people had been killed, and the number was likely to grow.
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations were on and they were hopeful of finding survivors, he added.
Footage on local media showed a fuel station almost completely destroyed, with twisted metal and damaged vehicles.
In Oklahoma, two people were killed in Mayes County and six others were injured, the BBC reported, citing the local emergency management authority.
One death was reported in Arkansas, as per US media reports.
The tornadoes also affected surface traffic, leaving lorries overturned and highways shut, while the power supply was snapped as poles were uprooted. Officials said that it could take days to restore services.
Parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee were at risk of severe weather on Sunday, after the havoc in the Southern Plains, as per reports.