Search and rescue crews are continuing to locate victims of the devastating tornados that ripped through hundreds of miles across multiple states this weekend.
As many as 70 people are believed to have been killed in western Kentucky, and the death toll could exceed 100, but those numbers could also rise "significantly," Gov. Andy Beshear announced Sunday.
"Dozens" were killed at a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, that suffered major structural damage and housed dangerous equipment, Beshear said. About 40 people were evacuated, and dozens more remain unaccounted for.
Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP
Search and rescue crews work at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory early Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky.
As many as 110 people were working when the tornado hit, and the human resources department has been working through the night to track people down, Troy Propes, CEO of Mayfield Consumer Products, told ABC News Sunday morning.
Phone and power lines are down, and people who were rescued may have been taken to different hospitals, making the task difficult, Propes said.
MORE: Over 70 feared dead as 22 reported tornadoes rip through South, Midwest
A number of heroic acts among employees took place at the factory before first responders arrived, Propes said.
One employee who works in the finance department went back to help try to save other employees and held the hand of someone who was trapped for hours until that person was rescued, Propes said.
"It's amazing the amount of lives that have been saved with such devastation around us," he said. But it would be a "miracle" for more survivors to be found at this point, Beshear said. An emergency relief fund has been set up to aid the victims.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
A man surveys tornado damage after extreme weather hit the region Dec. 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky.
Victims came into the hospital with gruesome injuries, Grant Fraser, an emergency room physician at TriStar Greenview Regional Medical Center in Bowling Green, told ABC News.
"They had severe severe injuries -- crush injuries to their head, chest, spinal injuries, multiple penetrating injuries," he said, describing the chaotic scene. "So there’s a combination of both tornado and flying objects penetrating people, blunt force trauma, walls, ceilings that have fallen on people with severe crush injuries."
MORE: Tips on how to stay safe from a tornado
At least 12 people have died in Warren County, Kentucky, Kevin Kirby, the coroner in Warren County, which includes Bowling Green, told ABC News Sunday morning. Some of the deceased are children, Kirby said.
Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick, who served in McLean and Muhlenberg counties, was among those killed, according to a statement from the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Homes and business are reduced to rubble after a tornado ripped through the area two days prior, on Dec. 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky.
"We are especially heartbroken to get the news that District Judge Brian Crick, who served McLean and Muhlenberg counties, lost his life during the storm. This is a shocking loss to his family, his community and court system, and his family is in our prayers," Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Minton said in a statement Sunday.
More than a dozen have been confirmed dead across Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, and Arkansas, The Associated Press reported. A nursing home was also reportedly destroyed in Monette, Arkansas.
Six people died at an Amazon distribution center in Edwardsville, Illinois, The Madison County Coroner's Office confirmed to ABC News Sunday morning.
The victims were identified by city officials as Deandre S. Morrow, 28, of St. Louis, Missouri; Kevin D. Dickey, 62, of Carlyle, Illinois; Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton, Illinois; Etheria S. Hebb, 34, of St. Louis, Missouri; Larry E. Virden, 46, of Collinsville, Illinois; and Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville, Illinois.
Tiara Hebb
Etheria Hebb is shown in this undated photo.
Representatives of Amazon are on-site and assisting with the search process, according to the City of Edwardsville.
Kentucky Court of Justice
In this photo released by the Kentucky Court of Justice, District Judge Brian Crick, who died during the recent tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky, is shown.
So far, 34 tornados have been reported across eight states, according to the National Weather Service. Sixteen of those tornados have been confirmed.
Aerial surveys over the damage-stricken areas are continuing, according to the NWS.
ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Linsey Davis, Brian Hartman, Bill Hutchinson, Will McDuffie, Marcus Moore, Ivan Pereira, Victor Oquendo and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.