Tornadoes sweeping across the southern United States has killed at least 17 people and injured several others.

Tornadoes and lethal thunderstorms tore through homes and warehouses in the country's midsection on Tuesday with Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee the worst hit.

In Arkansas power lines were brought down during the storm, blocking traffic to the 3,000 community along the Arkansas River.

At least six tornadoes occurred between Oxford, Mississippi, and Jackson, Tennessee, Richard Okulski, from the National Weather Service in Memphis, said.

One storm tore a large part of the north wall off Hickory Ridge Mall in Memphis.

Devastation

Steve Cole of the Memphis Police Department said some people sheltering under a bridge north of the mall were washed into the Wolf River, but were rescued.

The same storm moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and damaged a dormitory at Union University.

Eight students were trapped at the dormitory but escaped serious injury, Tim Ellsworth, school spokesman, said.

Twisters in northern Mississippi tore through buildings and brought down power lines.

The National Weather Service said it had received reports of injuries in the area, but had no further details.

A tornado shredded warehouses in an industrial park in Southaven, Steve Atkinson, Desoto County Sheriff's Department commander, said.

"It ripped the warehouses apart. The best way to describe it is it looks like a bomb went off," Atkinson said.

"A lot of fire departments are here and we're searching each warehouse to see if there was anybody in there.

It's going to be a time consuming thing and we'll probably be searching into the morning."

PHOTO CAPTION 

Graphic showing the three southern states battered by tornadoes in the US, where at least 18 people were killed

Al-Jazeera