Emergency teams rescue the wounded

Emergency teams help the wounded out from under the rubble of a massive tornado that ripped through Oklahoma.

The 2-mile-wide (3-km-wide) tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday (May 20), killing at least 51 people including 20 children, destroying entire tracts of homes and trapping two dozen school children beneath rubble.

Area hospitals reported at least 230 people injured, including at least 45 children.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center provided the town with a warning 16 minutes before the tornado touched down at 3:01 p.m. local time (2001 GMT).

Oklahoma activated the National Guard, and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency activated teams to support recovery operations and coordinate responses for multiple agencies.