Death toll expected to rise as recovery effort continues
12 Dec 2021
The Washington Post
Most of the known fatalities were in a candle factory in Mayfield, Ky., but officials expect numbers to grow as crews sort through the path of rubble that extends across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
At least 70 people were killed in Kentucky, with more feared dead, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Saturday. Most of the deaths in the state were in a candle factory in Mayfield, which was flattened with about 110 people inside. As of Saturday, 40 people had been rescued, with the rest thought to be dead, as the remnants of the factory sat under cars, shredded debris and “barrels of corrosive chemicals” seeping through, Beshear said.