MOORE, Okla. – Briarwood Elementary School took a direct hit from a tornado today and was severely damaged. Children were reportedly trapped inside the building and were removed from a bathroom.
The tornado was reportedly a mile wide and an EF4, claims CNN. It cut a path similar to another tornado that hit Moore in 1999.
Because the severe weather was expected, area schools did not release their students at the end of the day, reports ABC News.
Another school, Plaza Towers Elementary, was also in the tornado’s path, and local residents helped pull the children and students out of the building. Rescuers are looking for more survivors, reports NBC News.
The roof was torn off the school, and its cinder-block walls were knocked down. A teacher laid on top of several children to protect them.
Area hospitals are receiving dozens of patients injured in the storms. Moore Medical Center was evacuated after it sustained damages from the tornado, reports CNN.
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