At least 50 people were killed after several tornadoes passed through Kentucky (US) and other neighboring states during the early hours of Saturday, according to Governor Andy Beshear, who warned that “the total number of deaths may be much higher., between 70 and 100. “The reports are really heartbreaking,” Bashir said with regret. Emergency services have not yet confirmed the exact number of deaths or injuries. The National Weather Service reports that the storm affected at least five states: Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas.
The hardest-hit area is in Mayfield, in western Kentucky, where the hurricane affected infrastructure, businesses and housing. About 110 people were inside a candle factory when the tornado swept through the area, trapping workers. “We think we will lose at least dozens of these people,” Bashir said.
In Tennessee, at least three people have died from the storm, State Emergencies Agency spokesman Dean Flair confirmed. And in northern Arkansas, in Monnet, at least one person was killed and five injured when a tornado hit the roof of the nursing home they were staying in.
Illinois also suffered the consequences of hurricanes. There, “a lot of people” were trapped after the roof of an Amazon warehouse partially collapsed Friday night after hurricanes hit.
Kentucky Governor Andy Bashir, one of the worst-affected states, declared a state of emergency and emphasized that the damage from the storm would be “one of the worst we’ve seen in a long time.” One hurricane, which originated in Arkansas and traveled 200 miles to Kentucky, will be recognized by the National Weather Service as the longest in history.
This was one of the most difficult nights in Kentucky history, with several counties affected and significant loss of life. You have declared a state of emergency and submitted a request to Tweet embed to declare an immediate federal emergency. https://t.co/KmMOl95t1N
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Xj5DgTZp1ZGovernor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) December 11, 2021
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
Participate
Follow all the international information in Facebook social networking site s Twitter, o en Our weekly newsletter.