4 dead in Oklahoma tornado, state of emergency issued as more storms likely

At least four people, including an infant, were killed and more than 100 others injured in Oklahoma after destructive tornadoes ripped through the US state, which also left thousands of residents without electricity.

Sulphur, a rural town of about 5,000 people, witnessed the majority of the damage, including the complete destruction of buildings, toppling of cars and blowing the roofs of houses, the Associated Press reported.

“You just can’t believe the destruction,” Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said during a visit to the hard-hit town.

“It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.”

On Sunday, the Governor also announced that the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated for severe weather across Oklahoma.

Of the four deaths, two occurred in Holdenville and one near Marietta, CNN reported, citing an official from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security as saying.

Governor Stitt confirmed that the fourth fatality was reported in Sulphur town, and added that 30 people also sustained injuries.

According to te National Weather Service, tornadoes of at least EF-3 strength slammed into Sulphur and Marietta on Saturday night.

An EF-3 rating indicates wind speeds of 218 km per hour or more.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is yet to ascertain the overall extent of damage in the state.

Meanwhile, people across cities including Dallas and Austin in Texas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma; Wichita and Topeka in Kansas; and the Kansas City metropolitan area; were at risk for strong tornadoes, CNN reported.

More than 4 million people were under tornado watches on Sunday night (local US time).

Parts of eastern Texas and northern Louisiana; far western Mississippi; western Arkansas; far eastern Oklahoma; and southwestern Missouri might also be affected by the severe storms.

On Friday, multiple tornadoes were reported in at least five US states, with the most destructive storm moving from rural areas into the suburbs of Omaha, a city in Nebraska with a population of 485,000.

Forecasters had issued tornado warnings across several states, including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, for Saturday, also warning of potential large hail and strong winds.