Tornadoes strike north Texas town, killing one and injuring 75 | Texas

The north Texas town of Perryton was struck by one or more tornados that inflicted damage to homes and a mobile home park, local media reported on Thursday.

One fatality has been confirmed and more than 75 people were being treated at the local hospital, Perryton fire chief Paul Dutcher told ABC News.

Local KVII-TV reported that at least 30 trailers had been damaged or destroyed in Perryton and that firefighters were still rescuing victims at 6pm local time. It said the town may have been struck by three tornadoes.

Images from the ground in Perryton showed homes torn apart and left in rubble.

A woman who answered the phone at the Ochiltree county sheriff’s office said she could not yet provide any details on injuries or deaths.

There is currently no power to Perryton, Xcel Energy told ABC News.

“Our crews are arriving on site and are assisting in removing lines from cars and across the roads. We are patrolling the transmission feeds into the city and also assessing possible damage at the main substation in town. One of the three main transmission feeds into the city was apparently undamaged, but we deenergized it for safety reasons,” Xcel Energy said in a statement.

“Jane & I are praying for the people of Perryton tonight. I am in contact with Mayor Symons and this tragedy is being closely monitored by myself and my whole staff,” Representative Ronny Jackson, a Republican from Texas, said on Twitter, referring to Perryton’s mayor, Kerry Symons.

Perryton, with about 8,000 residents, is about 110 miles (180km) north-east of Amarillo, close to the Oklahoma state line.