Six people, including two children, killed as tonardo rips through US county

Six people, including two young children, have been confirmed killed as a powerful tonardo ripped through the Madison County in the US state of Iowa on Saturday night, officials report.

A county emergency management official, Diogenes Ayala, said at a press conference on Sunday that the devastating tornado had caused “widespread damage to both homes and properties,” adding that a search is on for possible missing persons.

“This is, I think, the worst that anyone has seen in quite a long time. This will be impactful for many years to come.

“This is pretty devastating for our community. Rescue efforts would continue,” he added.

The National Weather Service Des Moines also tweeted on Sunday, citing the tonardo as “the worst in recent tears.”

READ ALSO: Death toll in US tornadoes rises as Biden approves state of emergency in Kentucky

“Storms are moving off to the East. Areas west of the line, including the Des Moines metro, are in the clear.”

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has also issued a disaster proclamation for Madison County, which allows state resources to be used to assist with recovery.

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the deadly storms that tore through our state on Saturday,” Reynolds said in a statement.

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