Search and rescue teams have been dispatched across the affected states.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani condoled US President Joe Biden following the deadly hurricanes that struck at least six states in the country over the weekend.
Several Qatari officials including Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani also sent condolences to the US president.
They also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
A series of tornadoes hit various American states over the weekend, including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Video shows a large tornado whirling in Sacramento, Kentucky.
Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the state, killing at least 70, the governor said. https://t.co/5JPmmoztiI pic.twitter.com/U50nPESXre
— ABC News (@ABC) December 11, 2021
Homes were demolished and several businesses were destroyed during the tornadoes, which weather forecasters said are unusual during cooler months of the year. Power outages have also been reported in Kentucky among 53,553 people.
Reuters reported on Sunday that at least 100 people were feared dead in Kentucky as search and rescue teams continue to look for those missing.
At least six workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois were also killed after the building collapsed.
“The very first thing that we have to do is grieve together and we’re going to do that before we rebuild together,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told reporters on Sunday.
The tornadoes occurred following a series of overnight thunderstorms including a supercell storm, which ripped through Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Beshear noted they were the most destructive in Kentucky’s history.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, William Gallus, a professor of meteorology at Iowa State University, said that the tornado may be as intense as the maximum strength EF5 tornado.
“If confirmed that this path is about 370km-long, it could set a world record for the longest tornado track, beating a record that has stood for almost 100 years,” Gallus told the Qatar-based broadcaster.
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