Several killed in petrol station blaze

A massive fire erupted at a petrol station in Tennessee, spreading to houses and killing several people, authorities said.

Officials were not sure what started the fire last night at the Columbia Gulf Natural Gas pumping station near Green Grove, about 40 miles northeast of Nashville, but said it could have been related to severe storms that swept the South of the US yesterday, killing at least 20 people.

The mayor of Westmoreland, a city about seven miles from the site, said the fire started around 10pm local time and spread to nearby houses.

Casualties have been reported in Macon County, and several people are reported missing, Ricky Woodard said.

The exact death toll is not immediately known.