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A spokesman for the candle factory that destroyed the tornado in Kentucky said the death toll at the site could be lower than expected.
U.S. President Joe Biden has declared a major federal disaster in Kentucky and provided further assistance to the affected state after the disaster. deadly tornadoes they were ripped across the central region of the country.
Biden made the statement on Sunday night, saying authorities had broken more than 30 tornadoes across seven U.S. states and two days later, leaving a trail of destruction that was still being assessed.
Although the overall death toll was unclear, and could still rise, as of Monday, at least six people were killed in Illinois, four dead in Tennessee and two in Arkansas, according to local officials.
Kentucky was the hardest hit, with the Louisville Courier Journal confirming at least 50 local state officials.
“It’s a tragedy,” Biden said. “And we still don’t know how many lives have been lost and the full extent of the damage.”
In a potential light of hope in dire straits, the death toll from the 70 people killed in the destruction of a candle factory in the small town of Mayfield could change to 16 or less.
Bob Ferguson, a spokesman for Mayfield Consumer Products, said eight of the 110 people in the factory were dead and eight were missing. Rescue teams are searching for eight missing people.
“Some early reports say there may have been 70 deaths at the plant. One is too many, but we thank God that the number is much, much less, “Ferguson told Reuters.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was on Saturday announced The death toll in the state is expected to rise to more than 100, he said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon, he was still gathering information.
“The owner has been contacted and believes he has different information. We are trying to verify. If so, the situation may be better and the miracle we hoped for, ”Beshear said.
The death toll in the state has dropped to 50, the Associated Press reports.
Biden described the storms as a federal emergency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helped thousands of people suffer from housing, food, water and electricity shortages.
But according to an emergency statement, the aid is limited to $ 5 million, according to the FEMA website.
Biden’s new declaration of a major federal disaster releases additional federal aid, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, loans to cover the loss of uninsured property, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
As part of its response, FEMA was opening shelters and sending teams and supplies, including 30,000 meals and 45,000 gallons (12,000 gallons) of water.
“I promise you that all that is needed – all that is needed – is for the federal government to find a way to do that,” Biden said.
Rescue workers were still searching for the remains of those who survived the disaster two days later, but authorities said on Sunday that hopes of finding the missing were declining.
About 300 members of the National Guard went from house to house controlling people and helping to remove debris.
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