At least 70 Feared Dead As Tornadoes Rip Through US

Credit: Twitter

MAYFIELD, Ky.: At least 70 people were feared dead in Kentucky after tornadoes and severe weather tore through multiple US states and caused catastrophic damage, the AP reported.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Saturday that the death toll may exceed 100.

“This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,” Beshear said.

The storms hit a candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon facility in Illinois and a nursing home in Arkansas. Beshear said about 110 people were in the Mayfield factory when the tornado hit.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Sarah Burgess said search and rescue teams were going through the rubble Saturday but didn’t yet have a number for how many have died.

President Joe Biden tweeted Saturday that he was briefed on the situation and pledged the affected states would “have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue.”

At least one person died at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, Police Chief Mike Fillback told reporters. The roof of the building was ripped off and a wall about the length of a football field collapsed.