3 Mar 2012

Tornadoes and storms leave at least 20 dead in US

6:44 pm on 3 March 2012

A series of powerful storms and tornadoes have killed at least 20 people in the US states of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, officials say.

Local police confirmed that 13 people died as tornadoes swept across three counties in Indiana.

The BBC reports five others died in Kentucky, with two fatalities in Ohio. Earlier, tornadoes hit Alabama, causing widespread damage.

The storms - stretched across a vast part of the US Midwest - came days after another system killed 13 people.

The first deaths on Friday were reported in Indiana, where the small town of Henryville was badly damaged.

Reports of extreme damage included a roof torn off a high school.

An official from Clark County sheriff's department described the nearby town of Marysville, Indiana - located close to Henryville - as "completely gone".

Earlier this week, 13 people died after twisters swept through Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Tennessee.