Tornadoes Kill Dozens In US
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – The worst swarm of tornadoes in years devastated Kentucky and five other U.S. states, killing at least scores of people and leaving a trail of destruction, authorities said.
Destroyed homes, factories, and warehouses were seen along a path that stretched more than 320 kilometers (200 miles), officials said on Saturday.
Some four tornadoes touched down overnight in the region, said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He told more than 50, and perhaps as many as 100 people died in “the worst tornadoes in the state’s history.”
Dozens were feared dead inside a candle factory in the town of Mayfield, officials said.
“The reports are really heartbreaking,” Beshear said. “This has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history, and some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words.”
Some of the worst destruction was in Mayfield, a small city of about 10,000 people in the far western part of Kentucky, where the state converges with Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.
About 110 people were inside a candle factory in the area when the tornado ripped through, bringing down the roof and causing mass casualties, Beshear recalled.
Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who was inside the factory, said the roof collapsed soon after the workers could hear and feel the hollowing winds, and the lights began flickering.
“We could feel the wind … then we did a little rock,” Parsons-Perez told broadcaster NBC. “And then boom, everything came down on us.”
At least five people died as tornadoes wreaked havoc in other states, including a warehouse of technology giant Amazon’s in Illinois.
Beshear declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, but questions were expected about the infrastructure in the region.
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