Mississippi tornado leaves 26 people dead

The death toll in the devastating tornado that tore through the southern US state of Mississippi reached 26 and dozens more were reported injured, the New York Times reported.

According to the publication, the tornado smashed homes and businesses to pieces.

An ominous wedge appeared in the night sky over one of the poorest regions of the American South late Friday. When it touched down, it nearly obliterated the small Mississippi Delta town of Rolling Fork in one of the numerous scenes of destruction and heartbreak across swaths of Mississippi and Alabama, as per the report in the New York Times.

It had shredded almost everything, plucking trees that had stood for decades, roots and all, and dropping them onto homes and vehicles. A fire station was just open air. Houses had rooms shorn off.

Earlier on Saturday, US President Biden expressed condolences and offered "full federal support as communities recover from the effects of this storm."

"To those impacted by these devastating storms, and to the first responders and emergency personnel working to help their fellow Americans: we will do everything we can to help. We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover," Biden said.

In a statement the US president said: "While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that many of our fellow Americans are not only grieving for family and friends, they've lost their homes and businesses."

President Biden spoke with state and local leaders after deadly storms swept across the South overnight and said he is "praying for those who have lost loved ones" and "for those whose loved ones are missing."

The US President said he had reached out to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and had spoken to Senator Wicker, Senator Hyde-Smith, and Congressman Bennie Thompson to express his condolences and offer full federal support as communities recover from the effects of this storm.

"I also spoke to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who has already deployed emergency response personnel and resources to support search-and-rescue teams, assess the damage, and focus our federal support where it is needed most quickly," Biden said in his statement released by The White House.

"To those impacted by these devastating storms, and to the first responders and emergency personnel working to help their fellow Americans: we will do everything we can to help. We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover," the statement by the US President read.

According to a statement, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency Saturday in all counties affected by the severe storms that swept across the state Friday.

"I'm devastated by the destruction and loss of life these storms have caused," Reeves said. "The state of Mississippi will continue doing everything we can to marshal every resource available to support our fellow Mississippians who are in need. The state will be there to help them rebuild." (ANI)