At least 89 dead in US tornado

Twister damaged 25 to 30 percent of Joplin, Missouri, fire chief says

JOPLIN, Missouri - A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

City Manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday's storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly 10 kilometers long and more than a 1.6-km wide through the center of town.