Storms kill eight in central US

A deadly storm destroyed a section of Hugo, Minnesota Enlarge Image

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have swept through central parts of the United States, killing at least eight people and destroying many homes.

The worst-hit areas were in Iowa. Seven people died when a tornado hit two towns north-east of Des Moines.

In Minnesota, a storm flattened several homes near St Paul, killing a child.

The US tornado season - which peaks in the spring and early summer and affects many mid-Western states - has been particularly deadly this year.

The severe weather was caused by a slow-moving storm system that brought high winds and hail from Texas to Minnesota.

In Iowa, the towns of Parkersburg and New Hartford - about 80 miles (130km) from state capital Des Moines - were directly hit by a powerful tornado.

Taking shelter

At least five people died in Parkersburg, where many buildings were reduced to rubble - including most of the town's high school .

Two other people died in nearby New Hartford. At least 50 injuries were reported in both towns.

Iowa government Chet Culver issued a disaster proclamation - a move that helps co-ordination between state and local authorities.

In Minnesota a storm devastated Hugo, a suburb of St Paul.

A two-year-old child was killed and his sibling is reported to be in a critical condition.

A Hugo resident said that his family had taken shelter in his basement, before the storm destroyed the first floor of their home.

"I put my daughter down first, my wife on top of her and then I bear-hugged on top of them," he told the Associated Press news agency.

More than 100 people have been killed by tornadoes so far this year - the worst toll in a decade.

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