Tornado kills 7 in midwestern U.S. state of Iowa

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people reportedly died after a tornado ripped through multiple counties in the midwestern U.S. state of Iowa this weekend.

Six people, including two children, were killed and four others injured in Madison County, a local emergency agency tweeted on Saturday.

At least two dozen homes in the county were damaged or destroyed, according to the agency.

An individual in a rural area near Lucas County was also reportedly killed during the storm.

Photos and videos from around Winterset, the county seat of Madison County, suggested at least EF3 (Enhanced Fujita scale) tornado damage occurred late Saturday afternoon, meteorologists said.

An EF3 tornado has wind speeds between 136 and 165 miles per hour (218 and 266 km per hour).

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds tweeted that she had joined with local leaders "to tour the devastating damage" in Madison County on Sunday.

"It was absolutely heartbreaking to see firsthand the destruction left behind," Reynolds added.

Several severe storms had been forecasted in the Iowa region throughout Saturday.

A tornado warning was issued for parts of Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma, and southern Missouri through Sunday evening.

The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the intensity of tornadoes in some countries, including the United States and Canada, based on the severity of the damage caused.