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A flooded place in Kentucky
Photo: LEANDRO LOZADA / AFP
The number of dead after the devastating floods in the US state of Kentucky has risen to at least 25.
"And that number will continue to grow," Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference on Saturday.
According to current knowledge, four children are among the dead.
It could be weeks before all the victims were found.
It is unclear how many are missing because there is no cell phone reception in large parts of the disaster area.
The state in the eastern United States had been hit by heavy rains.
In some areas, around 20 centimeters of rain fell within 24 hours.
Streets turned into rivers, numerous houses were submerged by the spongy brown waters.
The north branch of the Kentucky River reached a water level of more than six meters near the town of Whitesburg.
The previous record was around 4.50 meters.
After heavy rains, flash floods and landslides also occurred in the neighboring states of Virginia and West Virginia to the east.
Many people were suddenly surprised by the floods on Thursday night.
"If there's any good news, it's that it's not raining"
'If there's any good news, it's that it's not raining.
Looks like we'll be dry through Sunday afternoon,' Beshear said.
That makes the rescue easier.
Hundreds of people have already been rescued by boat and from the air.
Many are temporarily in makeshift shelters.
Thousands of households are still without electricity.
In order to mobilize additional personnel and resources, the politician had declared a state of emergency and also used the National Guard to provide support.
US President Joe Biden has already announced federal aid to support reconstruction in the affected communities.
It was only in December 2021 that devastating tornadoes caused severe destruction in Kentucky.
More than 70 people died.
dop/dpa/AFP
