Tornadoes pummel Southern U.S., 43 dead

Three days of violent storms and tornadoes across the southern United States killed at least 43 people, wrecked hundreds of buildings and downed power lines, officials said on Sunday. North Carolina accounted for the bulk of casualties and property losses, with 22 people killed and more than 80 others injured in a string of tornadoes that ripped through the state Saturday night. Houses were flattened, cars and trucks tossed like matchsticks and planes blown off the tarmac at a local airport.