Dozens die in US tornadoes

AT least 45 people were left dead after a powerful storm whipped up tornadoes in seven southern US states.

The tornadoes left a trail of destruction in North Carolina, levelling homes and businesses and knocking out power, the NBC television network reported.

Some two dozen tornadoes were reported in the southern states of Mississippi and Alabama on Friday, a day after 15 twisters struck in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, the National Weather Service said.