Violent thunderstorms hit Oklahoma, Kansas

PanARMENIAN.Net - More violent thunderstorms have roared across middle America, killing seven people in two states, with several tornadoes touching down in Oklahoma and high winds pounding rural Kansas.

The high-powered storms arrived as forecast on Tuesday, May 24, just two days after a massive tornado tore through the southwest Missouri town of Joplin and killed 122 people.

Several tornadoes struck Oklahoma's capital, Oklahoma City, and its suburbs during rush hour, killing at least five people and injuring at least 60 others, including three children who were in critical condition, authorities said.

Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the state medical examiner, said four people died west of Oklahoma City in Canadian County, where a weather-monitoring site in El Reno recorded 243km/h winds. She did not have any immediate details about the deaths, AP reported.