Two-year-old killed in bed as tornado wrecks Michigan home

Fire officials in Michigan have confirmed that a two-year-old child was killed after a tree fell into a home during a tornado, landing on the child as they slept.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the city of Livonia.

A crew of 25 firefighters used chainsaws to cut away roof and branches in order to lift the tree using high-pressure airbags.

A two-week old in a crib and the children's grandmother also were inside the home, but were uninjured, according to Livonia Fire Chief Robert Johnson.

In a statement, the city of Livonia said the child was killed "when a quick-developing tornado struck several Livonia neighborhoods" around 15:30EDT (20:30BST)

“This is a terrible tragedy for our community,” said Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan. “Our hearts are broken, too, and we send our deepest sympathies.”

The tornado uprooted a "massive tree", according to the city's statement, which landed on the bed where a mother and child were sleeping.

Crews worked for nearly an hour in order to reach the family, according to fire officials. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

"We also thank all the caring neighbors who worked hard to clear trees and assist our firefighters and officers on the scene,” said Mayor Brosnan.

The city's statement added that the city "did not receive advance warning" from the National Weather Service (NWS).

"A representative from the NWS called it a spin-up storm which didn’t show up on their radars in enough time to issue a warning," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a separate tornado struck at least two homes about 500 miles (800km) from Livonia, in the Maryland suburbs north of Washington DC.

Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, reported that rescues took place after several confirmed sightings of tornados in the area.

At one home, four people were extricated, including one who was "pinned and removed via Technical Rescue Team," he posted on X.

Another home in the city of Gaithersburg had a "large tree on the house with 1 occupant trapped inside" he said. The person was later removed and assessed for injuries