A deadly tornado has hit the US state of Mississippi, causing at least 24 deaths and leaving more people trapped under rubble. The storm caused devastation in several rural towns, tearing down trees and power lines. Several southern states are also expecting powerful storms. The tornado caused catastrophic damage to communities across the state, destroying dozens of buildings in several small towns, flipping cars on their sides and toppling power lines.
One of the towns, Rolling Fork, has essentially been wiped out, according to its mayor. The tornado struck another relative's house, where a wall collapsed and trapped several people inside. The governor of Mississippi is on his way to Sharkey County to meet with affected residents first hit by the tornado's fury.
The US President Joe Biden described the images coming out of Mississippi as "heartbreaking", adding that the federal government "will do everything we can to help". The cause of the devastation is not yet clear, but it is possible that the destruction was caused by a "skipping tornado" - a single twister that lifts from the surface only to touch down again. This is one of the devastating natural disasters to hit North America in recent times.
