Meanwhile, the number of people missing totaled 156, down from 232 a day earlier.

A Missouri Public Safety official said that at least 90 people on the original list of the missing have been found alive, but some new names have been added to the list.

Meanwhile, medical records and fingerprints are being used to identify victims.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that as of the morning of May 27, more than 2,500 Missourians affected by Sunday's tornadoes had applied for federal assistance to help with home repairs and cover personal losses.

The agency reported that more than US$2.8 million worth of assistance has already been approved. FEMA has conducted preliminary assessments of storm damage elsewhere, including Minnesota, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Joplin on May 29, to meet with state and local officials as well as families affected by the disaster.

The tornado, which was gauged as five on the enhanced Fujita scale, touched down into the heart of the Midwest city last weekend, killing many people and destroying thousands of buildings. Last month, tornadoes killed more than 300 people and caused damage totaling more than US$2 billion in the US South.