Tornado death toll lowered: The death toll on Monday night of at least 51 people included some bodies being counted twice in the early chaos of the storm, according to Oklahoma’s medical examiner’s office.
Spokeswoman Amy Elliott says nine children are confirmed dead, including seven who were pulled from the wreckage of an elementary school in Moore, 10 miles south of Oklahoma City.
The powerful tornado ripped through the city and demolished entire neighborhoods. It was between a half-mile and a mile in width and had winds of up to 200 miles per hour.
The new total death toll is 24 people, not including at least two others who died as a result of the Shawnee, Oklahoma tornado that happened a day earlier, on May 19.
Overall, more than 100 people had been pulled from the rubble alive, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph told Reuters. “We are absolutely positive that there are still people that could be trapped under the rubble and in shelters,” Randolph said.
Teams are continuing to search the shattered community after the Monday afternoon tornado.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
