Tornado rips through Texas, leaves 6 dead

PanARMENIAN.Net - A tornado has ripped through a town in the U.S. state of Texas, resulting in six deaths, officials say, according to BBC News.

Homes were destroyed when the tornado hit Granbury, 70 miles (110km) west of Dallas, late on Wednesday, May 15.

Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds warned the death toll could rise as rescue teams search the area. Several people are being treated for injuries at local hospitals.

The tornado was one of three to hit northern Texas on Wednesday night.

Sheriff Deeds said he hoped the number of dead would remain at six, as officials awaited daybreak.

"I've been assured by my deputies on the scene that they're pretty confident with the six that they found, but there was a report that two of these people that they found were not even near their homes. So we're going to have to search the area out there,'' he said.

The hardest hit neighborhoods were Rancho Brazos Estates and DeCordova Ranch, in the southern part of Granbury.

The same storm spawned another tornado that tore through part of the town of Cleburne, about 25 miles (40km) south-east of Granbury, the National Weather Service said.

There have been no reports of any fatalities from Cleburne so far.

However, dozens of homes have been destroyed or badly damaged, according to officials and residents.

A third tornado in neighboring Parker County has also caused damage to buildings, particularly in the town of Millsap, officials say.