The death toll from flooding after heavy rainfall in the US state of Kentucky has risen to 25 and is expected to rise further. That said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Saturday, international news agencies report.
Rescuers and residents of Kentucky searched for survivors Saturday after a torrential rainstorm that turned roads into raging rivers hit the eastern part of the state during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. Residents of the area had to take refuge on the roofs of their houses to wait for help.
“This is still an emergency,” Beshear said at a news conference. “We are still conducting search and rescue. Unfortunately, I believe we will find bodies for weeks to come.” US President Joe Biden called it a “massive disaster” and promised federal aid.
Missing
According to Beshear, it is difficult to estimate the number of missing people because mobile telephones do not work in the disaster area and people who have fled the area cannot check the condition of relatives and acquaintances.
Parts of the eastern rural state, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains region, received eight inches of rain in 24 hours. Rivers overflowed their banks in a short time. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been flooded.
Four children are among the dead, according to the governor. It would be children between one and a half to eight years old from the same family, reports the Lexington Herald Leader, a newspaper in the state.