In the United States, a tornado has ripped through the midwestern state of Missouri, killing at least 89 people and cutting a path of destruction. The powerful twister struck the town of Joplin, about 220 kilometers south of Kansas City, destroying homes, crushing cars and badly damaging a hospital, which had to be evacuated. Officials say the death toll could rise. The strong winds blew debris up to 100 kilometers away. Another tornado in the state of Minnesota killed one person and injured nearly 30 others. The strong line of storms swept across states stretching from Wisconsin to Oklahoma. President Barack Obama called Missouri's governor to express his condolences and pledged federal government support for recovery efforts. Last month, tornadoes and violent thunderstorms killed more than 300 people across the southern United States, with the state of Alabama bearing the brunt of the fatalities, with more than 200 dead.