At least 70 people lost their lives in a series of destructive tornadoes in Kentucky on Friday night, according to state authorities, who do not rule out that the death toll exceeds 100.
"This has been the most devastating tornado-related event in the history of our state," Democratic Governor Andy Beshear said during a news conference Saturday morning.
The tornadoes also swept through Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi, where in total there were at least 5 other deaths.
A totally destroyed warehouse in the city of Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 11, 2021, by the passage of destructive tornadoes.Timothy D. Easley / AP
Kentucky was, however, the worst affected state.
The huge amount of debris is complicating rescue efforts and has so far prevented the number of victims from being offered, authorities explained.
"We cannot confirm a [exact death toll] at this time because we are still working, and we have many agencies involved in helping us," said Sarah Burgess of the Kentucky Police.
Tornado violence wiped out some cities, authorities said.
The town of Mayfield, located in Graves County, was totally devastated.
Rescue teams focused mainly on a candle factory, which was badly damaged.
Emergency teams have recovered numerous bodies, but no official data has been provided.