One person killed, several injured as tornadoes hit Oklahoma, Arkansas

[March 26, 2015]  OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - At least three tornadoes struck Arkansas and Oklahoma on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others, officials said.

A tornado moving through the Tulsa suburb of Sand Springs damaged as many as 60 buildings, a spokesman for the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said.

Rain, lightning and winds were hampering rescue efforts, said the spokesman, Major Shannon Clark.

"Conditions are deplorable," he said.

Mobile homes were tipped over and one person was killed in a mobile home park by the tornado, which left tens of thousands in the area without power, officials said.

The Emergency Medical Services Authority said that at least seven other people were taken to area hospitals with injuries, one of whom was in critical condition.

The Sand Springs tornado heavily damaged a gymnastics studio that had about 60 people inside, according to local fire department officials. No injuries at the studio were reported, the Sheriff's office said.

Photographs posted online showed the gymnastic studio's roof had collapsed.

Another tornado was spotted in Moore, Oklahoma, where police said multiple buildings were damaged and numerous cars and trucks overturned.

Classes were canceled at schools throughout the area on Thursday due to the damage, district officials said. A statement from the Moore Public School District said that one elementary school had its roof torn off, and several nearby homes were struck.

The Oklahoma City suburb was hit by a tornado in 2013 that killed 24 and injured more than 300.

A third tornado was reported in northwest Arkansas and large hail fell across the region, weather officials said.

(Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst in New York, Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas, and Heide Brandes in Oklahoma City; Editing by Eric Beech/Peter Cooney/Susan Fenton)

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