By Christina Kostopoulou
139 has reached the death toll of the monster tornado in Missouri, according to city spokeswoman Lynn Onstot.
The state has been working to sort down the list of people missing and unaccounted for in the wake of the deadliest single U.S. twister in more than six decades. On Friday the original list of 232 missing or unaccounted for residents had dropped to 156.
Missouri Department of Public Safety deputy director Andrea Spillars said Friday that at least 90 people on the initial list had been located alive. But at least six others were identified as among the dead, and some new names had been added to the scroll of the missing. Authorities had cautioned for days that while they believed many on the list were alive and safe, others likely had been killed.
City manager Mark Rohr acknowledged Friday afternoon that there may be “significant overlap” between the confirmed dead and the remainder of the missing list. Still, search and rescue crews were undeterred, with 600 volunteers and 50 dog teams out again across the city.
“We’re going to be in a search and rescue mode until we remove the last piece of debris,” Rohr said.
The tornado — an EF5 packing 200 mph winds — was the deadliest since 1950 and more than 900 people were injured. Tallying and identifying the dead and the missing has proven a complex, delicate and sometimes confusing exercise for both authorities and loved ones.
