260 people had gathered for a hard rock concert when the roof of the Belvedere City Concert Hall collapsed.
At least one person died and 28 others were injured, according to emergency services.
Police’s initial assessment is that the roof collapsed when a tornado swept through the city.
Chaos, utter chaos, Police Chief Shane Woody describes the situation at the scene Associated Press news agency.
40 tornadoes in six states
According to the US Meteorological Agency NOAA, more than 40 tornadoes were reported in six states during Friday evening.
And in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, at least one person was killed and about 20 others were injured, some of them seriously, according to the authorities.
At the city’s Clinton National Airport, all flights were canceled, and passengers and staff were ordered to seek temporary shelter from the storm in toilets, among other places.
Two more deaths were reported in the town of Wayne in northeastern Arkansas.
– Wynne is demolished. Homes were destroyed, and trees were downed in the streets, Lisa Powell Carter, a city council member in Wayne, told the Associated Press.
In addition to Illinois and Arkansas, tornadoes also struck Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Mississippi.
New weather warnings
Meteorologists issued weather warnings in at least 15 states over the next few days.
“There will be many thunderstorms, tornadoes, strong winds and hailstorms,” Victor Genseni, an Illinois meteorologist, told the Associated Press.
Severe storms lashed the United States on Friday, just a week after 26 people died in Mississippi, also as a result of… Thunderstorms accompanied by several hurricanes.
“Falls down a lot. Internet fanatic. Proud analyst. Creator. Wannabe music lover. Introvert. Tv aficionado.”
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