Deadly Mississippi tornado brings devastation to US state
NEWS At least 26 people have died in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the southern US states. Search and rescue efforts are continuing, and the Mississippi state government has declared a state of emergency. In Rolling Fork, crushed cars, bricks and glass litter the streets - the town has been almost entirely wiped out. One resident told the BBC he was lucky to survive after seeking shelter in his bath tub. Approaching the neighbourhood in western Sharkey County, there is little indication of anything unusual. The lush farmland that surrounds it is completely untouched, the trees aren't even bent out of shape by wind. Then, suddenly, you see the houses that were in the tornado's path. They have been totally obliterated. In this rural town of only 2,000 people, where one fifth of residents live below the poverty line, dozens of buildings have been flattened by the fury of the tornado. Homes where family and friends had gathered less than 24 hours before
