Search on for survivors after killer Kansas tornado

Rescue crews used dogs and flashlights to comb piles of debris that once were homes and businesses in Greensburg, Kansas, yesterday, in a meticulous search for survivors of a killer tornado.

At least eight people died when the twister hit the farming community on Friday night and another was killed in nearby Stafford County. At least 50 people were injured, some critically, authorities said.

Thirty people were rescued from Greensburg's crumbled hospital and authorities believed it was likely that more survivors, and possibly more victims, would be discovered.

"There is the potential of others still being buried in the rubble, people being trapped in basements," Kansas Emergency Management spokesman Sharon Watson said. "The focus is on covering a large area as fast as possible."

Some 90 per cent of the businesses and homes in Greensburg, a town of about 1,800 people, were damaged or destroyed when the mile-wide tornado and winds of 165 mph roared through.

Ms Watson said assessment teams were to start trying to gauge the cost of the damage during the day.

President George W. Bush declared the community a major disaster area and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery in Kiowa County, which includes Greensburg.

"Our hearts are heavy for the loss of life in Greensburg, Kansas," Mr Bush said after attending church in Washington. "I'm confident this community will be rebuilt."

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also declared a state of disaster emergency for Kiowa County.

In southwestern Kansas, where at least three more tornadoes touched down on Saturday night, residents still struggled to comprehend the losses.

"They're still going through a little bit of shell shock," said Red Cross worker Ralph Rojas, who helped operate a shelter where about 50 Greensburg residents spent the night.

"There are still people looking for family and friends," Mr Rojas said. "There is a major portion of the community just gone."

Greensburg's hospital and schools were among the buildings destroyed. The water tower next to the town's main tourist attraction - the world's largest hand-dug well - was knocked down. The town nursing home was nearly levelled.

About 30 survivors were found in the remains of the hospital, according to Ms Watson.

"There was a warning in time for people to take cover so that helped," she said.

In addition to the tornado that touched down on Friday night, about 9.45 p.m. CDT (0245 GMT on Saturday), at least three more hit the region on Saturday night, to the National Weather Service said. Damage teams were yesterday assessing the impact of those storms as well.

The storms left power out throughout Kiowa and surrounding counties along with a near shutdown in telephone communications. Outside the county, farm sheds, house windows and shingles were reported blown out and major damage was reported to a field mill.

An oil pumping station was also blown over and oil tanks blown up to 0.85 kilometres away.

The peak US tornado season runs from March through early July; the twisters kill an average of 70 people in the United States each year. The worst cluster came on April 3 and 4 in 1974 when 307 people died as 148 tornadoes touched down in 13 states.

The most violent single tornado appeared on March 18, 1925, killing 689 people as it ran from Missouri across southern Illinois into Indiana.