Early morning tornado destroys homes

A tornado slammed into central Mississippi today, ripping homes from their foundations and causing injuries.

‘‘There were flashes of lightning, then the sound of explosions like a gun battle,’’ Winston Thompson, a resident of the Fairfield community in Madison County, who said he and his mother awoke to the sound of the sirens.

‘‘I walked outside and I could hear people call over and over for help,’’ Thompson said.

The number and extent of injuries were not known.

Witnesses said several homes were torn from their foundations at about 5.20am local time. A severe storm returned to the same area about two hours later.

Damage and injuries were also reported near Clinton and in the Bolton areas, about 20 miles southwest of Madison.

Thompson said eight or 10 homes in his street were either blown from their foundations or left with extensive roof damage.

‘‘We’ve got ambulances out here and they are taking people out as quickly as possible,’’ he said.