at least four dead after tornado in Arkansas and thunderstorms in Illinois

Arkansas and Illinois plagued by violent weather events. At least three people were killed on Friday March 31 by a powerful tornado that swept through the state of Arkansas in the southern United States. Further north, in Illinois, the partial collapse of a theater under the influence of violent storms left at least one dead and 28 injured, according to the authorities.

In Arkansas, two people died in the small town of Wynne, announced Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who declared a state of emergency and deployed a hundred national guards. “Central Arkansas suffered significant damage”, she explained. Pulaski County, home to Arkansas’ capital, Little Rock, has confirmed a third death. “Thirty people were transported to hospitals” city, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott told reporters.

Uprooted trees, gutted houses

In Arkansas, the tornado left in its wake a spectacle of desolation with overturned cars, huge uprooted trees, broken telephone poles and gutted houses. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued tornado warnings for parts of neighboring states like Tennessee, Illinois and Iowa.

In Illinois, part of the roof and facade of the Apollo Theater in the small town of Belvidere, west of Chicago, collapsed during the passage of a violent storm. A concert by a heavy metal band was underway, according to local media. Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle reported one death and 28 injuries, including five hospitalized with serious injuries.