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(KFVS) - Reports are now coming out saying that 10 people were killed in the Harrisburg, Ill. after a possible tornado swept through the area. Two of the victims are children. One man was killed in Stoddard County. One person was killed in southwest Missouri. Missouri Gov. Jan Nixon has declared a state of emergency.
At least 100 people have been injured in the Harrisburg area, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office. At least 300 houses have been damaged or destroyed with at least 25 businesses damaged or destroyed in the Harrisburg area, according to the sheriff's office.
Siteseers are asked to stay away from the City of Harrisburg. Numerous power lines are down and gas lines leaking. Several streets are blocked and residents should treat all power lines as still being energized.
The National Weather Service is enroute to investigate the tornado damage and will he here later Wednesday morning.
CBS affiliate KFVS has two multi-media journalists covering the Harrisburg area. Arnold Wyrick says 35 to 40 homes are destroyed. Rescue and recovery efforts are underway as emergency crews look for three to five missing people. Several people are being loaded into ambulances.
He says he sees mattresses hanging from trees. He says the windows and doors have been blown out of the Wal-Mart in town. Several businesses are destroyed on the south side of town.
The Harrisburg school superintendent says Harrisburg Middle School sustained some damage. School is called off for the remainder of the week.
Tyler Profilet reports a lot of damage in the Harrisburg area, including semi trucks tipped over. One man says it sounded like a freight train as he hid in a closet with his son. Several emergency crews from numerous departments are responding to the area.
Power lines are downed in the area. Several roads are block off in Harrisburg. One of the roads blocked off leads to the hospital in town.
Saline County Emergency Management asks people to stay off their cell phones if possible as heavy phone traffic is jamming the system. They ask people to text only is possible. Sightseeers are asked to stay at home.
One man has died after the storms in Stoddard County.
For more on this story click on this link to KFVS