At Least 20 Killed As Tornado Hits Southern Us

At least 20 people were killed when storms struck the southern United States yesterday. Eighteen people died when a tornado hit the small town of Enterprise in southern Alabama on Thursday afternoon, destroying the central section of the local high school where at least 15 died. A person was reported killed in the nearby town of Millers Ferry.

Lengthy warnings had been given, and tornado sirens had sounded in several areas, according to reports. Children at the high school assembled in an auditorium for protection. Rescuers were trying to remove debris from the school auditorium's collapsed roof last night, but ended their search at 6pm.

A spokesman for the state trooper, Corporal Tracy Nelson said: "At this point, they believe they have gotten everybody out, and there are none others trapped."

"They are in the process of getting the parents with the students. Officials are in recovery mode, but the school is destroyed. It's unbelievable, and there have been a lot of deaths."

Eyewitnesses spoke of the sky turning black as the tornado sirens sounded warnings. Fierce winds overturned vehicles and plucked the roofs from buildings.

The school auditorium where the students had gathered for safety lost its roof as the tornado hit. The cinderblock walls remained upright, but the roof fell in on the students, trapping them inside.

President Bush called Alabama governor Bob Riley to say that he was "deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life".

State emergency management agency spokeswoman Yasamie Richardson told the Associated Press that the fatalities "are in relation to the high school but whether they are all students we're not sure." Officials said more than 40 people were taken to hospital in Enterprise.

Martha Rodriquez, a student at the school who left shortly before the tornado struck, told the AP: "The stadium was destroyed and there were cars tipped over in the parking lot and trees were ripped out. There were trees and wood everywhere. It was just horrible."

Another student who was in the school when the tornado hit described the storm to CNN. "The tornado came through and the roof came down on us," he said. "A lot of the exterior bricks came in and hit people around us."

Chase Baldwin, also a student at the school, told CNN "The whole building just collapsed on everybody. A bunch of people were trapped under cinder blocks, and people had their heads cut open."

In Miller's Ferry, 66 miles west of Montgomery, Alabama, a person was reported killed when a tornado struck a mobile home park, leaving homes overturned and trees uprooted.

The tornado is one of a series to hit the southern US and the Gulf Coast region since Wednesday. Thursday's storm stretched the length of Alabama and was unusual because the tornados lasted for a sustained period.

A tornado was also thought to be responsible for the death of a seven-year-old girl in Missouri. Tornados were also reported in Kansas.

The tornados were part of a 1,000-mile-long storm system that stretched from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast. Reports late last night indicated that the storm was heading into Georgia.