A sudden tornado has ripped through the US city of Jonesboro and reportedly derailed a train that was carrying hazardous chemicals.
Pictures show substantial damage to much of the city with extraordinary footage from one traffic camera showing how quickly the twister developed.
There has been no confirmed reports of casualties or fatalities at this early stage.
The tornado struck at roughly 5.20pm local time and a search and rescue operation is underway.
According to Jonesboro E-911 Director Jeff Presley, a mall was badly damaged and emergency services are now hunting for survivors.
It is feared that the weather system could also lead to tornadoes in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois or Indiana.
A wind gust of 74mph was clocked at Jonesboro Municipal Airport at 5.05pm as the tornado moved through the area.
The large tornado was captured on a highway camera moving into the east side of Jonesboro during a live broadcast on The Weather Channel Saturday evening.
The footage showed debris being lofted into the air, and minutes later, KAIT-TV reported search and rescue operations were underway.
The reports of a derailed train are yet to be verified by city officials.
