Babies among 31 people killed as storm Florence death toll rises in US

Two babies are among 31 people who have died as rain and flooding from storm Florence continues to devastate the US east coast.

Both infants were killed by falling trees in North Carolina.

In Gaston County, a three-month-old boy died when a large pine tree fell across a mobile home, police said. The child's father and mother were home but escaped unhurt.

It came after a mother and her eight-month-old child were killed when a massive tree crushed their brick house in Wilmington.

Officials said three people also died in separate, weather-related traffic accidents in South Carolina.

More than 30 inches (75cm) of rain has fallen across North and South Carolina since Friday, with tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes.

Florence was downgraded from a hurricane soon after it made landfall on the US east coast.

However, while winds have weakened to about 35mph, the danger is now posed by torrential rain and flooding.

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper said: "The risk to life is rising with the angry waters."

Five people were arrested on suspicion of looting in Wilmington after footage posted on social media showed mostly young men walking out of the Family Dollar shop holding goods.

The city is under curfew from 10pm until 6am, with the area affected by looting given an extended curfew of 5pm until 6am.

Hundreds of thousands of homes across North and South Carolina are without power and tens of thousands of people are in emergency shelters.

Forecasters fear that the coming days could bring the worst flooding in North Carolina's history as rivers swell towards record levels.

Thousands of people living within a mile of part of the Cape Fear River and Little River have been ordered to leave their homes.

One of those ordered to leave was John Rose, who owns a furniture business with stores near the river.

:: Sky correspondent in Wilmington: Florence like being under a power shower

He and his staff managed to move more than 1,000 mattresses from a low-lying warehouse.

"If the river rises to the level they say it's going to, then this warehouse is going to be under water," he said.

President Donald Trump said emergency workers and law enforcement officials were "working really hard".

"As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional!" he tweeted.