(photo courtesy Manitoba Storm Chasers)

Environment Canada has confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down in Manitoba on Friday evening. A severe thunderstorm, with the storm cell moving eastward from the Moosomin, Saskatchewan region into Manitoba, ballooned into a tornado near Scarth, Manitoba at 7:55 p.m. August 7th. Reports of large hail were also confirmed near Virden, Manitoba. Scarth is located 13 kilometres south of Virden.

Two people lost their lives after being ejected from their vehicle.

Officers arrived on scene to find that a farm property had suffered extensive damage by the tornado, with silos tossed and trees snapped, and that two vehicles had been carried away and thrown into a nearby field.

A search of the first vehicle, found closer to the Highway, located a 54-year-old man, from the Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation, who was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Officers located the second vehicle, over a kilometre away, and along with Emergency Services Personnel, performed a ground search where they located two more individuals, an 18-year-old man and 18-year-old woman both from Melita, who are believed to have been ejected from the vehicle. They were both pronounced deceased on scene.

Officers along with EMS continued to search the area for other possible victims but none were located.

The Northern Tornadoes Project worked with the University of Manitoba and Environment and Climate Change Canada, rated the tornado, which is subject to change pending more information.