HARRISBURG, Ill. (MCT) — At least six people were killed and about 100 were injured after an apparent tornado early Wednesday ripped through the southern end of Harrisburg, Ill., authorities say.
“I see crushed houses all over the place,” a hospital executive in Harrisburg said, as ambulances continued to arrive with seriously injured residents.
Harrisburg, a town of 9,000 about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, is in Saline County.
Emergency responders were scrambling after the tor- nado hit just before 5 a.m. CST Wednesday. Severe storms also hit southwest Missouri overnight, and at least three people were killed, according to the governor’s office.
The deaths in Missouri included one person who died at a trailer home park in the town of Buffalo and a man who died in Cassville. The tourist town of Branson was heavily damaged.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and was heading to Branson and Cassville to meet with emergency responders.
