2-Mile-Wide Tornado Swallows Part of OKC Suburb
MOORE, Okla. (AP) – Casualty numbers are starting to come in from the Oklahoma City area, where a monstrous tornado has left a scene of devastation.
The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office says 51 people have been killed. Spokeswoman Amy Elliott says the death toll is expected to rise again. She says children are among those killed.
Meanwhile, Officials at two hospitals say they’ve been treating more than 120 patients, including about 50 children, since a massive tornado hit suburban Oklahoma City.
Spokeswoman Brooke Cayot (KAY’-ot) says nine of 57 patients who are being treated at the Integris Southwest Medical Center were listed in critical condition after Monday afternoon’s tornado. Nineteen were in serious condition and 29 were listed in fair or good condition.
She said five of the patients were children who have since been treated and released.
OU Medical Center spokesman Scott Coppenbarger says his hospital and a nearby children’s hospital are treating approximately 65 patients, including 45 children. The hospital previously said the number was higher, but later revised its patient count.
He said those patients ranged from minor injuries to critical condition. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says “hearts are broken” for parents wondering about the fate of their children after a tornado devastated suburban Oklahoma City and officials say the search and rescue effort will continue throughout the night. The National Weather Service said the tornado’s preliminary classification was an EF-4, with winds up to 200 mph. Late Monday evening, President Obama declared a major disaster in Oklahoma after the devastating tornado.
