Two killed as tornadoes, storms rip through Oklahoma

A general view shows damage during a rain-wrapped tornado in Cole, Oklahoma, US. Credit: Reuters Photo

At least two people were killed in McClain County, Oklahoma, as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through several regions of Central US late on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The storms resulted in at least two fatalities with crews responding to several people injured and trapped in their homes, McClain County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post, urging residents to stay out of the affected areas.

Also Read: At least 32 killed as tornadoes tear through the US's Midwest and South

The National Weather Service (NWS) had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes for Wednesday into the night across parts of the Central US including Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa.

Strong thunderstorms with severe weather potential were forecast for Thursday morning into the afternoon, according to the NWS.

Almost 20,000 customers in Oklahoma remained without power as of early Thursday due to the storms, according to the website poweroutage.us.

This comes weeks after a tornado tore through southeastern Missouri, killing five people. A previous bout of thunderstorms also unleashed a tornado last month that devastated the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, destroying many of the community's 400 homes and killing 26 people.

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