Deadly tornado tears into US city

As many as 30 people are reported killed after a tornado tore through the city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri, officials say.

The town suffered a “direct hit” from the tornado and parts of the city have been devastated, local media says.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and warned that more storms are on the way.

Last month tornadoes and storms killed at least 350 people in Alabama and six other southern states.

John Miller, a freelance photographer for the Springfield News-Leader newspaper, described widespread damage in Joplin.

“The Home Depot is levelled. The Walmart is destroyed. Gas stations, buildings. Everywhere I could see was either heavily damaged or completely destroyed,” he said.

“I saw firefighters and paramedics pull a young girl out of a car at the Home Depot. Part of the building had fallen on the car.”

Governor Nixon said storms had caused extensive damage across Missouri.

“They continue to pose significant risk to lives and property,” he said in a statement.

“As a state, we are deploying every agency and resource available to keep Missouri families safe, search for the missing, provide emergency medical care, and begin to recover.” he added.

He warned that the storms were not finished.

“I urge Missourians to keep a close eye on the latest weather information and to follow the instructions and warnings of emergency personnel as these deadly storms continue to move through our state,” he said.