Monster US storm spawns tornadoes and fans wildfires, killing at least 26

Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the US, wiping out schools and toppling trucks in several states, part of a monster storm that has killed at least 26 people as more severe weather was expected late on Saturday.

The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County Friday. At least 50 vehicles were involved.

Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that killed at least 12 people, authorities said. The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home.

“It was unrecognisable as a home. Just a debris field,” said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers when they arrived. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”

Rescuers managed to save a woman in the home, Akers said.

Officials in Arkansas said on Saturday morning that three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state overnight.