LOS ANGELES, June 21 (Xinhua) -- North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong declared a statewide disaster on Saturday after three people were killed in a violent tornado that tore through the Upper Midwest U.S. state.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner confirmed at a press conference that two men and one woman were killed Friday night at two separate locations in the city of Enderlin.

At about 11:40 p.m. local time on Friday (0740 GMT Saturday), the Cass County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to rural Enderlin for tornado damage at a residence.

Once deputies arrived on the scene, the Enderlin Fire Department let them know that storm chasers had located two deceased people as a result of the tornado, said the Sheriff's Office in a Facebook post.

"Shortly after learning of this, the Enderlin Fire Department was dispatched to another location, and a third deceased person was found as a result of the tornado," said the office, adding that "deputies found extensive damage to the area and began conducting well-being checks on people with several partner agencies."

U.S. National Weather Service Bismarck North Dakota said in a Facebook post on Saturday that "numerous severe thunderstorms passed through the area yesterday and into the night."

"Our hearts go out to the family & friends of the 3 North Dakotans who lost their lives in Friday's tornado and to the hard-hit community of Enderlin," said Governor Armstrong in a post on X.

The governor said that he has declared a statewide disaster and directed state agencies to aid in response and recovery as needed. ■