At least nine people were killed Thursday after a tornado ripped through a trailer park in a small town in the southeastern U.S. state of North Carolina, U.S. media reported.

Several mobile homes were demolished and others were torn off their foundations by the high winds in the town west of Wilmington, in the southeast of the state, CNN reported, quoting a local sheriff.

Several people were injured and crews were searching for people who had been reported missing, a spokeswoman for the Columbus County Emergency Services was quoted as saying.

As many as 200 emergency personnel were on the scene, and dogs were searching for people who still might be trapped in the rubble.

CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said it appeared the tornado touched down on the western side of Columbus County sometime after 6 a.m. local time and "was on the ground for some time."

The same storm system tore through other Southern states on Wednesday, slightly injuring two children when the building housing a skating rink in Montgomery, Alabama, collapsed, the report said.

Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power in the storm, the Associate Press reported.

Source: Xinhua