Dozens killed as tornadoes hit Kentucky and other US states
Kentucky governor declares emergency, says death toll in state could reach 100
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WASHINGTON • A devastating swarm of tornadoes tore through Kentucky and five other US states, killing dozens of people and leaving a trail of destroyed homes, factories and warehouses, officials said yesterday.
A number of counties in Kentucky were left devastated, with the strongest tornado ripping through 322km of the state, said Governor Andy Beshear.
On the same night, a storm ripped through a massive Amazon.com warehouse in the state of Illinois where some 100 workers were left trapped inside, local media said.
"I fear that there are more than 50 dead... probably closer to somewhere between 70 and 100; it's devastating," Mr Beshear said, adding that it was the "most severe tornado event in Kentucky's history".
In one incident, the roof of a candle factory in Mayfield city collapsed, resulting in "mass casualties", he added.
Pictures and videos shared on social media from Mayfield showed buildings ripped apart by the storm, with bent metal, trees and dislodged bricks scattered across the streets and only the remnants of houses left behind. Images of a tornado from US news channels showed a black cylinder sweeping across the ground, illuminated by intermittent blasts of lightning.
"Before midnight I declared a state of emergency," Mr Beshear said, adding that scores of search and rescue officials had been deployed to save lives as power outages hit the area.
The tornadoes came as storms hit multiple US states.
Hundreds of officials worked through the early hours of yesterday to rescue staff at an Amazon warehouse - a third of which was reduced to rubble - who were on the night shift processing orders ahead of the Christmas holidays.
The Collinsville Emergency Management Agency described it as a "mass casualty incident" with "multiple subjects trapped at Amazon warehouse". A tornado warning was in effect in the area at the time.
Footage shared across US news channels and social media of the Amazon warehouse in the city of Edwardsville showed a large part of the facility's roof ripped off, while one of the walls had collapsed into the building. The police said in a statement that there were "confirmed fatalities".
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said: "My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight. Our Illinois State Police and Illinois Emergency Management Agency are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation."
Amazon spokesman Richard Rocha said in a statement that "the safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now".
In Arkansas, one person was killed and 20 others were trapped after a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home, the US media reported.
Craighead county official Marvin Day told local news channels that rescuers had successfully pulled out those trapped in the building and the structure was "pretty much destroyed".
In Tennessee, at least two people were killed in storm-related incidents, an emergency management official told local media.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Centre said it received 36 reports of tornadoes touching down in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Scientists have warned that climate change is making storms more powerful and increasing their frequency, posing a growing threat to areas where extreme weather events are already common.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
