At least 50 people have been killed in a series of devastating tornadoes that hit Kentucky and other US states on Friday evening and early Saturday, according to the southern state’s governor.

In a press conference Saturday morning, Andy Beshear said Kentucky was “nearing the end of the most severe tornado event” in state history.

“We are confident that the death toll from this incident will exceed 50 Kentuckians,” he said.

Mr Beshear said the figure would “probably be closer to 70 to 100 people lost”.

The winter storm began early Friday and has since wreaked havoc in five states, marking destruction that included the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, where a wall and ceiling about the length of a football field collapsed .

Where a wall that was about the length of a football field fell, as did the roof above it. Two people were killed and several others seriously injured after a tornado struck a nursing home in Arkansas Friday night.

Tornadoes have also been reported in Tennessee and Missouri.

The governor of Kentucky said a roof collapsed at a candle factory in his state town of Mayfield.

“At the time the tornado hit there were about 110 people in it,” Mr. Beshear said. “We are confident that we will lose at least dozens of those individuals. It’s been very, really hard, and we are praying for each and every one of those families.”

Kentucky’s governor told local media that 50 people were “likely” dead in his state, but the death toll could be “far north of that.” According to Washington Post,

The newspaper quoted him as saying, “The reports are truly heartbreaking.”

The National Weather Service put a tornado watch for parts of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio as of Saturday morning local time.