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Catastrophic tornado rips through Kentucky leaving homes and buildings collapsed
At least 50 people are dead after a tornado tore through Kentucky, as residents begin to assess the damage in at least five states.
Officials have said that there are “confirmed fatalities” after workers became trapped when a roof collapsed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. The harsh weather has also killed at least one person at a nursing home in Arkansas.
Dozens are feared to be dead across the midwest and the southern US following a string of strong nocturnal tornadoes that hit five states overnight between Friday and Saturday.
The governor of Kentucky, Democrat Andy Beshear, said at least 50 people had been killed in the path of a tornado stretching at least 200 miles. Mr Beshear added that the number of deaths was expected to increase to between 70 and 100 later on Saturday.
“We’re going to lose over 50 people, probably closer to somewhere between 70 and 100,” Mr Beshear said. “It’s devastating.”
“Daybreak is going to bring more tough news,” he added. “It has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history.”
“Some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words,” the governor said.
Amazon warehouse collapses with workers inside as deadly tornadoes rip through five US states
A major winter storm that began early on Friday has left a trail of destruction in the US as it ripped through five states, leading to the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in southern Illinois and multiple deaths at a nursing home in Arkansas.
Emergency vehicles have reached the Amazon fulfilment centre to begin rescue operations, with officials saying workers are believed to be trapped inside.
Tornadoes were also reported in Missouri and Tennessee, and Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in the early hours of Saturday, activating the Kentucky National Guard and the Kentucky State Police. He said an update with emergency management officials would be given at 5am on Saturday to assess the damage.
At least two residents were killed and five seriously injured after a tornado ripped through the facility at about 8.15pm on Friday night, trapping around 20 people inside the collapsing building, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day told the Associated Press.
Namita Singh11 December 2021 13:47
Tornadoes in US have likely killed 50 people, says Kentucky governor
At least 50 people have been killed in a series of devastating tornadoes that hit Kentucky and other US states on Friday evening and early Saturday, according to the southern state’s governor.
In a press conference on Saturday morning, Democratic governor Andy Beshear said Kentucky was “nearing the end of the most severe tornado event” in the state’s history.
“We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians,” he said.
This figure would “probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives”, Mr Beshear added.
The winter storm began in the early hours on Friday and has since torn through five states, leaving a trail of destruction that includes the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, where the roof and a wall the length of a football field caved in.
The Independent11 December 2021 13:37
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