storm
Several injured after tornado in Kansas, USA
A firefighter stands outside a severely damaged car and home in Andover, Kansas, after a tornado ripped through the area east of Wichita. Photo: Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In the US, storms have left a trail of destruction in the states of Kansas and Nebraska. Many users shared photos and videos of tornadoes on social networks.
Heavy storms with at least one tornado in the US state of Kansas injured several people and damaged numerous homes.
In the Sedgwick district, which also includes Kansas’ largest city, Wichita, and in the Butler district, eight people were injured, one of them seriously, the heads of the responsible emergency services said at a press conference on Saturday night (local time). The broadcaster CNN reported 12 minor injuries, citing Wichita’s fire department. Andover, a Wichita suburb, was particularly hard hit. Emergency services would search the area for other possible victims.
According to Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, around 50 to 100 buildings were damaged in the area. In Andover, according to local fire chief Chad Russell, more than 900 buildings were in the path of the tornado. However, the exact extent of the damage is still unclear. Russell called on residents not to return to their homes for the time being, even in the face of numerous fallen power poles.
Footage on social media showed destructive gusts of wind sweeping through the region. Cars flew through the air, houses and shops were smashed. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency.