Taylor Thornton was listed among the dead
LEE COUNTY (ALABAMA, US), March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Seven members of one family were among the 23 victims identified after an outbreak of tornadoes devastated the US state of Alabama, officials have said.
Every victim, including four children aged 6, 8, 9 and 10 , was found close to their homes, rescue crews say.
The victims range in age from six to 89, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris told a news conference.
Up to eight people remain missing, officials say, and there are fears the death toll could rise.
“We believe that every victim was in the residence when it hit. They all ended up, with the exception of two, outside the residence,” Harris told reporters, adding that their homes “aren’t there”.
The tornadoes struck eastern Alabama on Sunday, levelling homes and carving a path of at least a half mile (0.8km) wide in some parts of the state.
Temperatures dropped below freezing on Tuesday as volunteer crews sorted through debris, looking for survivors and bodies.
On Monday, weather officials upgraded the fatal twister that hit Lee County to EF-4 with wind speeds of 275km/h.
Almost 50 people were injured and numerous homes and businesses were reduced to rubble as multiple tornadoes touched down in south-east Alabama and Georgia.
During Tuesday’s briefing, an official with the National Weather Service said the deadliest tornado had travelled for about 70 miles, and another nearby travelled for 29 miles.
President Donald Trump plans to visit the region on Friday.
“It’s been a tragic situation, but a lot of good work is being done,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. — NNN-AGENCIES
