Tornado kills dozens in Oklahoma

A tornado of rare power roared through an Oklahoma City, killing at least 51, flattening neighborhoods with winds up to 320 kilometers per hour and destroying at least one school. Officials said children were among the dead.

The death toll was expected to rise, an Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman said. Rescuers swarmed the debris as darkness fell. More than 140 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 70 children. Some were in critical condition.

The ferocious storm — less than 1 percent of all tornadoes reach such wind speed — ripped through the suburb of Moore in a Midwest region of the U.S. known as Tornado Alley. Block after block lay in ruins. Cars and trucks were left crumpled.

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