Authorities said on Tuesday that 122 people were killed in the tornado that battered Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since the National Weather Service began modern record-keeping more than 60 years ago.

A truck travels past a damaged building in tornado-hit Joplin in Missouri, the United States, May 24, 2011. The authorities said on Tuesday that the tornado that battered Joplin on Sunday had killed 118 people so far, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since the National Weather Service began modern record-keeping more than 60 years ago. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)
Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr estimated that 750 people have received treatment at area hospitals. He also warned that a new wave of dangerous storms is expected Tuesday evening.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said the toll is expected to climb as searching and rescuing continue. By Monday night, 17 people have been rescued. Joplin Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer said about 1,500 people are still unaccounted for.

The National Weather Service has determined the twister packed top winds of more than 200 miles per hour (322 km per hour), making it an EF-5 tornado on the enhanced Fujita scale.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that he plans to visit the region this Sunday. Obama said he will let people know "the whole country is going to be behind them."

The tornado touched down into the heart of the city at around 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) on Sunday, destroying thousands of buildings. The local fire department estimated that 25 percent to 30 percent of the city was damaged by winds of up to 200 miles per hour, but the number of people injured in the storm was still unknown. Jasper County emergency management director said 2,000 buildings were damaged.

The tornado even cut a path nearly six miles long and more than a half-mile wide in the downtown. Besides, a series of gas leaks caused fires around the city overnight.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet