The state medical examiner’s office has revised the death toll from a tornado in an Oklahoma City suburb to 24, including seven children.
Spokeswoman Amy Elliot said Tuesday morning that she believes some victims were counted twice in the early chaos Monday.
Initially, authorities said that as many as 51 were dead, including 20 children.
Rescue workers cling to the hope of finding survivors, scouring mountains of rubble where homes and schools once stood.
Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma was in the direct path of the storm’s fury.
About 75 students and staff were in the school when the tornado hit.
At one point, about 24 children were missing from the school, but some later turned up at nearby churches.
It’s unclear how many may still be trapped in the wreckage and how many are dead or alive.
Parents of survivors are having trouble understanding and coping.
“I’m speechless. How did this happen? Why did this happen?” Norma Bautista asked.
“How do we explain this to the kids? … In an instant, everything’s gone.”
Moore is far too familiar with the extent of nature’s wrath.
The Oklahoma City suburb recovered from a fierce 1999 twister that killed six there and dozens in the area.
It had the strongest wind speed in history
Another tornado tore through Moore in 2003.
