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Rescue teams are still looking for survivors in the ruins of buildings that were destroyed when a series of powerful tornadoes struck six US states.
About 70 workers are missing at the Mayfield Consumer Products factory in Kentucky after the building was razed Saturday night.
About 110 employees were at workwhen the tornado hit. 40 have been rescued and about 70 have yet to be found.
Among the missing is the mother of four, Janine Denise Johnson Williams.
- It's Christmas and she worked in a place where candles were made as gifts. We fear the worst, says Brother Darryl Williams.
Kyanna Parsons-Perez was standing on the assembly line at a factory when the tornado hit. She was found two hours later.
- I didn't think I would survive. It was absolutely terrible, he says to NBC.
Like a bomb
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear visited the ruins on Saturday and said it would be a miracle if more survivors were found.
"The damage is at a level I've never seen before," says the governor.
Mayfield Mayor Kathy O'Nan says much of the city has been ruined and it looks like a bomb has hit a factory.
- The building is completely destroyed. We hope that someone can still be saved - he says to CBS News .
Amazon
(David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Powerful tornadoes spread death and destruction in the states of Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri and Mississippi.
More than half a million households were without electricity on Sunday, according to PowerOutage.com.
In Arkansas, one person died when the nursing home collapsed, and in Tennessee, authorities confirmed that three were killed.
Also in Missouri, at least one person was killed, and in Illinois, a tornado struck Amazon's warehouse in Edwardsville, about 40 kilometers east of the city of St. Louis.
It has been confirmed that six people have died in the warehouse building and it is still unclear if there are more of them in the building. A tornado tore off the roof and several walls collapsed.
- We identified 45 people who safely left the building. One of them was taken by air ambulance to hospital. Six are dead, Fire Chief James Whiteford said at a press conference.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos writes on Twitter it's tragic news.
- We are overwhelmed after the loss of our colleagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with families. Everyone in Edwardsville should know that Amazon will support them and stand by their side during this crisis, Bezos writes.
A big thank you to the lifeguards on site.
Tornadoes in the USA. Climate changes
President Joe Biden calls the tornadoes that hit several states in the country an unimaginable tragedy and says climate change is making weather events more extreme.
- The fact is, we all know that with global warming, everything gets more intense. And that clearly had an impact here, says Biden.
- We do not know yet how many lost their lives or how great the destruction really is. I want to emphasize what I told the governors that the federal government will do absolutely everything it can to help.
Biden plans to visit Kentucky himself, but will wait a while.
- When the president shows up, he has an awful lot of staff. Lots of vehicles. We can disturb and we want to avoid that, says Biden.
Putin's condolences
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent "sincere condolences" to Biden after the devastating tornadoes.
"Russia shares the grief of those who lost their loved ones as a result of this catastrophe," Putin wrote in a telegram to the US President.
Source: NTB
(Ryan C. Hermens / Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)
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