At least five people have been killed after a severe cyclonic storm landed in St Louis, Missouri, United States on Friday afternoon, May 16. Authorities are searching for others trapped inside the debris of the building. The tornado uprooted roofs off buildings, blew out windows, ripped bricks off siding, and also uprooted trees, and a power outage was also reported in the area.
As per St Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, over 5,000 homes were affected, and several people were displaced. About 100,000 residents were left in the dark in the city as a power outage was reported on Friday night. An overnight curfew was imposed in the city, and an emergency was declared after damages were reported in several places. “This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said.
The number of people injured was not immediately known. A nearby hospital, Jewish Hospital, is treating several injured patients. Some are in serious condition, and most are expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.
According to the National Weather Service radar, the tornado struck between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area.