A powerful tornado which ripped through Nashville, Tennessee, has claimed multiple fatalities, left over 20 people injured and reduced several city blocks to rubble.
The city’s police force has confirmed two deaths and local news outlets are reporting that at least six people have died and at least 22 others are injured.
The twister touched down in Nashville, Tennessee in the early hours of Tuesday morning, laying waste to vast swathes of the city and wreaking havoc for emergency services and residents alike.
John C Tune Airport “sustained significant damage due to severe weather,” spokeswoman Kim Gerlock said in a statement, adding that several hangers had been destroyed and power lines are down.
The general public have been asked to avoid the airport for the time being.
Several polling stations have also sustained damage ahead of the key Super Tuesday vote. Most polls are due to open at 7am CST.
According to the National Weather Service, an “extremely dangerous” tornado touched down Northwest of downtown Nashville at 12:39am local time (06:39 GMT). Eyewitness video from the scene shows the monstrous twister tearing through the city in the distance.
Main Street was strewn with debris while an estimated 40 buildings are believed to have collapsed across the city. Some areas are expected to experience more than one intense storm overnight.
Infrastructure in the city has already taken a big hit, with an ongoing power cut affecting over 16,000 people. The tornado has left Nashville and is now reportedly headed for the communities of Mount Juliet and Lebanon, with the storm cell moving at approximately 45 miles per hour (72.4km/h).
There have been no reported injuries from the twister but eyewitness accounts and images on social media suggest that several properties have been damaged by.
One meteorologist claimed the debris from the tornado would have been hurled at least 20,000 feet (6.09km) in the air.
A tornado warning is in effect for another several hours in many parts of Tennessee.
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