19 dead as a result of a tornado that struck the US state of Mississippi

At least 19 people were killed when a tornado and powerful storms hit the US state of Mississippi on Friday evening, according to the authorities, the "ABC" television station.

The station quoted the state's emergency management agency as saying that search and rescue operations are continuing in the areas of Sharkey and Humphreys, which are 110 km north of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi.