Tornado claims five lives in Iowa

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A tornado that ripped through the midwestern US state of Iowa killed five people and left dozens injured, blowing homes into pieces and throwing cars through the air, officials said.

Residents surveyed the rubble of collapsed buildings and uprooted trees after the storm left a trail of destruction through the town of Greenfield on Tuesday.

“Four people were killed and at least 35 injured as a result of the tornado that struck the Greenfield area in Adair County,” the Iowa State Patrol said Wednesday, adding that the number of injuries could rise.

The local hospital was damaged and some patients had to be transferred to other facilities; Air transport was also carried out after the storm devastated the town of 2,000 people, 70 kilometers from the state capital Des Moines.

More than 100 rescue workers searched through the rubble, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said, while local authorities reported at least one other person was killed in nearby Adams County.

According to CNN, tornado reports across the United States have been well above average in recent weeks. More than 800 tornadoes this year make the country one of the most active on record.