Ankara (TDI): Turkiye has extended deep condolences to the people of the United States over loss of 40 lives in a wave of tornadoes and dust storms.
The tornadoes and dust storms caused by heavy winds swept through the Midwest and South of the US.
The extreme weather also caused around 150 deadly wild fires in Oklahoma, which claimed four lives.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the tornadoes and severe storms that were effective in some states of the USA. We convey our condolences to the people of the USA and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Regarding the Tornadoes and Severe Storms in the USA https://t.co/92MFrX6yqn pic.twitter.com/WGTMYsE7q0
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) March 16, 2025
The states of Texas and Kansas came under a spell of heavy winds, causing vehicle pile-ups and a dozen deaths.
12 people died in Missouri while deaths were also recorded in Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi.
The extreme weather caused power outage as well, which affected 320000 people. In some states, emergency was also declared.
Reacting on the tornadoes and the damage caused, President Trump said, “Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!”
Read More: Rough Weather: Storms Affect Over 3,500 flights in US
The tornado spell was expected to move off-shore and most of the states have now moved pass the emergency and high-alert warnings.
A total of 39 tornadoes, 950 storms and 710 windstorms have been reported, since Friday, from the states affected in this round of extreme weather.
In January, the Los Angeles county was engulfed by wild fires which shocked the world and prompted a series of controversies regarding how the fire started.
Many believed it was the direct consequence of extreme weather conditions fueled by climate change.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
