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Illinois tornado death toll increases to 2

11 April 2015 01:16 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Two were killed and at least 11 others have been taken to hospital in the small and rural community of Fairdale after a severe storm swept through the north central part of the U.S. state of Illinois Thursday night, Kirkland Community Fire District Chief Chad Connell announced at a news conference held at noon Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Rescue work was resumed early Friday. Rescue crews sifted through blocks of splintered homes in Fairdale Friday morning, Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

All 71 buildings sustained some damage and 17 homes were completely flattened in Fairdale. Firefighters from three or four area departments already have done at least two searches of all 71 structures, the local media reported.

Authorities have arranged for an aerial sweep of the area most affected by the storm to complete a third search for anyone who might be injured or trapped.

The National Weather Service reported that at least two tornadoes swung a 50-mile-wide swath through north central Illinois on Thursday. The weather service has deployed three teams to the area to survey the damage and track the paths of the tornadoes.

CNN reported that as many as 14 tornadoes swept through rural Midwest on Thursday, after they were reported Wednesday in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Some 95 million people have been affected.