Tornado Survivor Toddler Killed By Dog

A five-year-old boy whose family home was destroyed by the deadly Oklahoma tornado has been mauled to death by a dog at the house where he was staying.

The child and his two-year-old sister had been sent to live with family friends in Little Rock, Arkansas, while his parents remained in Moore to rebuild their home.

The bullmastiff attacked the boy on Sunday, police told KARK-TV.

"The child was putting on some shoes and was crying and upset," said Garland County Deputy Scott Hinojosa.

"The dog possibly took that as being aggressive and at that time the child was attacked."

The bullmastiff was owned by the family friend, 50-year-old Lynnn Geiling, and her husband.

She said she tried to pull the animal off the boy, but he was left with large cuts to his head and neck by the time she managed to separate them.

The dog ran away after the attack, but was shot by a local resident on Monday.

Investigators have not confirmed if the owners are likely to face charges.

A massive tornado, categorised as EF5, the most powerful ranking, tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on May 20, killing 24 people and injuring more than 400 others.

Around 1,200 homes were completely destroyed and 12,000 were damaged.