Seven children living on the same street were killed when a tornado tore through Bowling Green, Kentucky, as part of a powerful storm system which brought carnage to six states.
The death toll from last weekend’s devastating tornado outbreak stands at 88 across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee as of Wednesday morning, including at least 13 children.
Seventy-four people have been confirmed dead in Kentucky alone after a massive twister roared across the landscape for at least 200 miles. Bowling Green sustained some of the worst damage, with 15 fatalities confirmed so far. Eleven of those were reported on a single street.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has said the death toll will “undoubtedly” rise as more than 100 people remained unaccounted for in the central and south region as of midday Tuesday. More than 500 National Guard members have been mobilised in the state, and 95 of them are searching for those presumed dead.
Eight deaths came from a candle factory in Mayfield, where workers claimed they were threatened with firing if they left shifts early as the twister approached. Gov Beshear on Tuesday said state officials will launch an investigation into emergency protocols at the factory.
