Illinois Tornado Kills at Least 2, Injures 20

At least two people were killed and 20 injured when a tornado ripped through a small northern Illinois town on Thursday night

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By Brendan O'Brien

(Reuters) - At least two people were killed and 20 injured when a tornado ripped through a small northern Illinois town on Thursday night, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said on Friday.

The tornado destroyed dozens of houses and businesses as it swept through Fairdale, Illinois, a small town about 75 miles west of Chicago.

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"Our hearts and thoughts go out to those impacted by yesterday's storms," Rauner said in a statement.

Geraldine Schultz, 67 and Jacklyn K. Klosa, 69, were both killed in their Fairdale homes, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The tornado was one of several twisters that storm spotters reported in DeKalb and Ogle counties when a dangerous storm system rolled through the Midwest on Thursday evening.

Rauner declared both counties state disaster areas and said on Friday that several state agencies were supporting the residents and the cleanup effort.

A few miles southwest of Fairdale, damage was also reported in and around Rochelle, Illinois, where crews rescued people from the basement of Grubsteakers Restaurant, officials said.

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said after the storm that his house, and the home of relatives living nearby, were among about 20 in Rochelle destroyed or significantly damaged. The sheriff said no one was taken to the hospital or reported missing.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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