Tornado hits south US, kills at least two

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -- A tornado hit the southern part of the United States over the weekend and killed at least two, according to local authorities.

The tornado tore through the states of Mississippi and Tennessee. According to the mayor's office of Columbus, Mississippi on Sunday, a woman was killed when a building collapsed on her and three other people.

The accident took place late Saturday and the deceased was identified as 41-year-old Ashley Pounds, the mayor's office quoted Lowndes County Coroner's Office as saying. The fate of the three others are uncertain.

Columbus Mayor Robert Smith said 12 people in his city sustained non-life threatening injuries, and city spokesman Joe Dillon said a school and two community center buildings were severely damaged by the extreme weather.

In the neighboring state of Tennessee, a man was killed after his vehicle was submerged under high water.

Police answered to the incident early Sunday to find a man trapped inside a vehicle on S. Peters road, Knox County Sheriff's office said in a notice.

The notice warned commuters to avoid roads where the pavement is not visible under water.

The states of Kentucky and West Virginia were also reportedly affected by the tornado.