At least nine dead from tornadoes in central USA

In the USA, at least nine people have died and dozens have been injured in tornadoes. Numerous buildings have been destroyed and parts of North Texas have been devastated.

Two deaths were confirmed in Arkansas, two in Oklahoma and five in Texas. Denton and Cooke counties were among the hardest hit.

Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said there were many more injuries and the death toll is expected to rise.

“We are currently still in search and rescue mode. I hope we can still find survivors,” he told US media.

“We have five confirmed cases, but unfortunately we expect that number to probably rise. The devastation is pretty bad.”

The footage showed a gas station in Cooke County that was almost completely destroyed, with twisted metal strewn across the damaged vehicles.

The tornadoes also overturned trucks, closed a highway near Dallas, and left tens of thousands of people without power.

In Oklahoma, two people were killed and six others injured in Mayes County, the local emergency management agency told the BBC.

Arkansas officials said a 26-year-old woman was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, while another death was reported in Benton County. The state also reported several injuries.

Police officials in the city of Rogers, Arkansas, said they rescued several people who were trapped after a tornado downed trees and power lines and damaged gas lines.

The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma on Saturday.

The central plains of the United States are also called Tornado Alley.

Because of their location and climate, they are particularly vulnerable to some of the most destructive tornadoes in the world.

May is usually the month of the year with the most severe tornadoes.