Authorities said Tuesday that the tornado that swept through the city of Joplin in Missouri has killed 118 people on Sunday, making the disaster the deadliest U.S. tornado in 60 years.
The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, said the stock is expected to rise as the search continues.
Monday night, officials had found 17 people alive. The Director of Emergency Joplin, Keith Stammer, said several hundred people were injured in the tornado, and about 1500 people are still missing.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday he planned to visit the area Sunday.
The tornado hit hard the heart of the city on Sunday at around 6:00 p.m. ET has destroyed thousands of buildings.
According to the local fire department, 25% to 30% of the city were destroyed.
The Governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency and requested federal assistance.
The authorities have started researching door to door Monday morning. But the task has been complicated by a storm with high winds and heavy rains.
The tornado Joplin was one of 68 tornadoes recorded the last weekend in seven Midwest states, from Oklahoma to Wisconsin, according to the Storm Prediction Center National Weather Service.
During last month’s tornadoes killed more than 300 deaths and over 2 billion U.S. dollars of damage in the southern United States.
