Missouri tornado death toll rises to 142

JOPLIN: The death toll from one of the worst tornadoes ever to hit the United States rose Saturday to 142 in Joplin, Missouri, as residents struggled to pick up the pieces amid overwhelming devastation.

Among the newly confirmed killed by the tornado that cut a path of destruction through this town of 50,000 was teenager Will Norton, who was sucked from his father's Hummer as they drove home from his high school graduation.

Crews continued searching for the missing, six days after the tornado tore apart everything it touched along a path four miles (six kilometers) long. There were 100 people still unaccounted for as of 1 pm (1700 GMT) Saturday, the Missouri Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

"This number includes nine persons who have been reported deceased by family, but for whom official confirmation is still underway," the department said.

State officials are cross-checking names of the missing with hospitals, and are working with cell phone service providers to determine if anyone has used their phone since being added to the list.

The twister, a massive funnel cloud that struck late Sunday, ranks as the single deadliest tornado to hit the United States since modern record-keeping began in 1950.

More than 8,000 structures in the Midwestern town were damaged or destroyed when the tornado packing winds over 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour came roaring through with just a 24-minute warning. (AFP)