Four killed, 40 injured by tornado at Boy Scout camp

(CNN) - At least four people were killed and more than 40 injured Wednesday when a tornado struck a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa, government and emergency medical sources said.

Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Gene Meyer told CNN that the four were killed by a storm that slammed into the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near the Nebraska state line.

Meyer said about 120 people, including 93 campers, were believed to be at the camp at the time of the storm.

About 40 people were injured, said Sheri Bauwens, a nurse with the American Red Cross.

"We had fire trucks and rescue units backed up two miles down the road away from this location," said Russ Lawrenson with the Mondamin, Iowa, Fire Department, who was on the scene shortly after the storm hit.

Lloyd Roitstein, president of the Boy Scouts of Mid-America Council, said the scouts at the ranch were advanced scouts between 13 and 18 years old and were there for a week of training. He said all of them were staying in tents and that the site is virtually destroyed.

"All of the buildings are gone; most of the tents are gone; most of the trees are destroyed," Roitstein said. "You've got 1,800 acres of property that are destroyed right now."

The storm blew in quickly, several witnesses said. It hit shortly after a tornado watch was posted for the area.