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Overturned traffic light on Highway 69 in Des Moines, Iowa after Saturday night's tornado
Photo: Bryon Houlgrave / dpa
A tornado in the US state of Iowa killed six people.
Four adults and two children were killed, Madison County authorities said on Saturday (local time).
The tornado also caused "extensive damage to houses and property," said the head of local emergency management.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency for Madison County.
"Our hearts go out to all those affected by the deadly storms that have swept our state today," Reynolds said.
The storms are heading east
A thunderstorm triggered the tornado on Saturday afternoon.
By the evening, it had spread across large parts of the state.
Additional storms also caused damage in areas east of Des Moines and in other areas of eastern Iowa.
Photos tweeted on social media showed fallen trees, debris and damaged roofs and vehicles.
About 10,000 people were temporarily affected by power outages in the Des Moines area.
The National Weather Service said Saturday night that "the worst for central Iowa" is over.
"The storms are moving east," they said.
The emergency services would thoroughly examine the damage on Sunday.
sug/afp/AP