Tornado spreads misery; kills 89 in US

A massive tornado that tore a 10-km path across southwestern Missouri killed at least 89 people as it slammed into the city of Joplin,ripping into a hospital and leaving a forest of splintered tree trunks behind where entire neighbourhoods once stood.

Authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as rescuers continued their work. City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sundays storm.

Rohr said the twister covered about 800 metres at the centre of town,adding that tornado sirens gave residents about a 20-minute warning before the tornado touched in the west. Much of the citys south side was levelled. Destroyed houses and vehicles could be seen everywhere.