More than 70 people have died following a series of tornadoes on Friday night, the governor of the US state of Kentucky has confirmed.
As reported by BBC News, Governor Andy Beshear stated that the number could go up to over 100 in what he has referred to as the most severe set of tornadoes in Kentucky history.
Per the outlet, dozens more victims are suspected to have died inside a candle factory in the town of Mayfield.
At least five people died as tornadoes ravaged in other states, including one in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. Beshear has declared a state of emergency in the state.
Over 100 people were inside the Mayfield factory when the tornado struck, he confirmed.
"We believe we'll lose at least dozens of those individuals," the governor added.
President Joe Biden has written on Twitter that he was briefed about the deadly tornadoes on Saturday morning.
"To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy," he said. "We're working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue."
Authorities said the tornado caused "significant damage" across the western parts of Kentucky. A train was derailed as a result of extreme winds in Hopkins County, Sheriff Matt Sanderson reported.
He also said that two children were reported missing during a tornado but were then found in a bathtub that had been pulled outside the home by the sheer force of the wind.
"There were two children in the Barnsley area that were missing and they were actually found in a bathtub not where the house was originally standing," he said.
The Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville in southern Illinois was destructed during a tornado on Friday night, police said.
It is not yet known how many people were injured by the roof collapse, but local emergency services have referred to it as a "mass casualty incident" on Facebook.
Illinois police chief Mike Fillback reported that at least one person was killed
Devastated local Sarah Bierman explained that her partner went missing during the tornadoes, telling Reuters: "I talked to him about 8 o'clock tonight, a little before I texted him, and he was returning to the warehouse to drop his van off. And I haven't heard from him since."
"I decided to come down here to see what was going on. I had no idea the building looked that bad. And I'm just ... I'm worried sick. I just want to know if he's okay," she added.
