Update: At least five were killed by tornadoes, according to CNN.
Tornadoes have ripped through Texas and Oklahoma on April 22, killing at least three people and injuring over 30.
In Oklahoma, two people were killed by a tornado while another one was in critical condition, according to Marshall County Emergency Management Director Robert Chaney, Fox News reported.
A tornado in Texas killed one and injured over 30 people, according to officials.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to the tornado disaster in a post on Twitter.
“We are praying for—and helping—those in East Texas who were ravaged by tornadoes that left at least 2 dead & 10 injured,” Abbott said. “Many state agencies are on location to assist the recovery process.”
The Oklahoma storm hit Madill, near the Red River, around 4:30 p.m., causing widespread damage to the town, including its residential neighborhoods, said Donny Raley, the city’s emergency manager.
One victim’s body was found about a quarter-mile from J&I Manufacturing, a trailer factory about six miles southwest of Madill, Marshall County Emergency Management Director Robert Chaney said. He added that he had no other information on the victim, except that the suspected twister hit the plant just as its workforce was leaving for the day, causing severe damage.
The storm also hit the Oklahoma Steel and Wire plant, a fence wire manufacturer on the south side of Madill, the county seat of Marshall County, which is home to about 4,000 residents.
The apparent tornado in Southeast Texas touched down about 6 p.m. near Onalaska, about 75 miles north of Houston. The storm rumbled east through Seven Oaks, causing severe damage to homes and other structures, said Carrie Miller, a spokeswoman for Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy.
A National Weather Service team will be dispatched to survey the damage and confirm whether the storms were tornadoes.
Epoch Times reporter Alan Cheung contributed to this report.
