At least 23 people in the Midwest and South regions of the US were killed after a deadly tornado swept through the area that destroyed buildings, and flipped over a car on an interstate.

At least 14 of the dead persons belonged from Kentucky, the Associated Press reported, adding that they lost their lives in the severe weather. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warning that the toll could rise.

“Kentucky, we’re starting today with the tough news that we lost at least 14 of our people to last night’s storms, but sadly, this number is expected to grow as we receive more information. Please pray for all of our affected families,” he said in a post on X.

Local authorities in Kentucky’s Laurel County, located in the state’s southeast, informed that at least nine people died as a tornado touched down the area.

Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late Friday, causing structures to crumble and even flipping over a car on I-75.

Did a tornado strike Kentucky?

The National Weather Service of the US has not yet confirmed that a tornado struck the areas, but local authorities warned about the same.

Meteorologist Philomon Geertson, quoted by AP, said that the possibility of a tornado was likely.

The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said.

The severe storm ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight.

Drone footage published by local media showed scenes of devastation in the town of London, Kentucky, with houses leveled and reduced to splinters and tree trunks standing bare, completely shorn of branches.

“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV.

The sheriff’s office of the Laurel County said rescuers were up all night searching for survivors.

An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.

The storm was the latest natural disaster to have caused multiple deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky.