A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky was one of the many buildings destroyed after tornadoes and severe weather swept across the Midwest Friday night.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said at a news conference on Saturday that around 110 people were inside the factory when the tornado struck, the Associated Press reported.
“We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians and probably end up 70 to 100,” he said at a news conference Saturday. “It’s very hard, really tough, and we’re praying for each and every one of those families.”
One factory employee, Kyana Parsons-Perez, was “trapped under five feet (about 1.5 meters) of debris for at least two hours until rescuers managed to free her,” the AP reported. She told “The Today Show” that this was the “absolutely the most terrifying” thing she had ever experienced, adding, “I did not think I was going to make it at all.”
Parsons-Perez explained that employees had been gathered in a section of the factory meant for storm emergencies. She said the lights started to flicker and “all of a sudden,” they felt a gust of wind and her ears started popping as if she were in an airplane. She said everything started swaying and then the roof collapsed.
“All I heard was screams,” she said as images of the destruction was shown on screen.
Parson-Perez also explained that some local prisoners worked at the factor as part of a work-release program with the prison, and that they were “working their tails off” to help rescue their coworkers.
“They could have used that moment to try to run away or anything, but they did not. They were there, helping us,” she said.
Chilling video shows the cries of a candle worker trapped inside a factory after a deadly tornado collapsed their building. Kyana Parsons-Perez is speaking out on this horrifying experience amid severe tornado storms across the country. pic.twitter.com/zsr0rhc3RQ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 11, 2021
CNN posted footage of the factory with rescue crews working to save those who were trapped. The images show the flattened remains of the building, with nothing to identify what it once was.
As The Daily Wire reported, dozens have been reported dead already from more than 30 tornadoes that ravaged five states overnight:
At least 30 tornadoes were reported throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. The largest tornado that struck the region tore through more than 220 miles in Kentucky.
Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power, including 136,000+ in Tennessee, approximately 60,000 in Kentucky, 25,000+ in Arkansas, roughly 24,000 in Illinois, and nearly 10,000 in Missouri.
An Amazon warehouse in Illinois also collapsed due to the severe storms.
“One of the tornadoes touched down in Edwardsville. During the storm, multiple agencies responded to a collapse at the Amazon distribution center near I-270 and Illinois Route 111. Officials are confirming fatalities,” Fox 2 Now reported. “Authorities said multiple people are trapped inside the warehouse, and there are reports of possibly 50 to 100 workers at the facility.”
Kentucky Gov. Beshear declared a state of emergency and said he activated the national guard and requested federal assistance.
“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. To all of our Kentucky families that are impacted by this, we want you to know that we are here for you, we love you, and we are praying for you,” he said.
“We will get make it through this, we will rebuild,” Beshear added. “We are strong, resilient people, and we will be there every step of the way.”
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Source: Dailywire
