A candle factory where eight people were killed in a catastrophic tornado will be investigated by the state of Kentucky – after employees said they were threatened with losing their jobs if they left the building.

The investigation was announced as President Joe Biden headed to the state to survey the damage and offer federal support to the victims of a series of a devastating tornadoes that left 88 people dead in the region – with 12 children among the 74 who died in Kentucky.

Another 105 are unaccounted for.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the announcement of the inquiry should not “suggest there was any wrongdoing”.

He continued: “But what it should give people confidence in is that we’ll get to the bottom of what happened.

“Everyone is expected to live up to certain standards of both the law, of safety and of being decent human beings. I hope everybody lived up to those standards.”

A timeframe for the review, which will be carried out by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Program, is not immediately clear.

COVID-19: US coronavirus deaths top 800,000, with more than 25% coming after vaccines became available

Kentucky tornado: ‘I’ve lived there for 26 years, in 26 seconds it was gone’

US tornadoes: Two-month-old girl, nine-year-old who ‘loved dancing’ and 94-year-old war veteran among victims named

Five workers at the Mayfield Consumer Products factory, which was levelled on Friday during the surge of tornadoes, said in interviews that managers told employees they would probably lose their jobs if they went home.

Haley Condor, who worked at the factory, said around 15 people asked to go home during the night shift shortly after the first emergency alarm sounded outside the facility.

What causes tornadoes and are they getting worse with climate change?

Elijah Johnson, another employee, said managers took a roll call to determine who had left work.

Mr Johnson continued: “I asked to leave, and they told me I’d be fired.

“Even with the weather like this, you’re still going to fire me?”

Mr Johnson said a manager replied with: “Yes.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

McKayla Emery, 21, said workers first asked to leave shortly after tornado sirens sounded outside the factory around 5.30pm.

In an interview from her hospital bed, she recalled overhearing managers tell four workers standing near her: “If you leave, you’re more than likely to be fired

“I heard that with my own ears.”

A company spokesman, Bob Ferguson, a spokesman for the company, said on Tuesday that the state inquiry was “entirely appropriate.”

“In such a catastrophic situation our regulators need to review these things.”

Mr Ferguson said an official of the state agency arrived at the site on Tuesday and was escorted around the property.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

He denied Monday that any workers were threatened and called the allegations “completely untrue”.

“We’ve had a policy in place since COVID began,” he said. “Employees can leave any time they want to leave, and they can come back the next day.”

Mr Ferguson also denied that managers told employees that leaving their shifts meant risking their jobs.

He added that managers and team leaders underwent a series of emergency drills that followed guidelines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Related posts:

Florida reservoir on brink of collapse: Homes evacuated amid fears of ‘catastrophic flood situation’ George Floyd ‘died from lack of oxygen’, leading breathing expert tells trial Drivers warned not to panic buy petrol amid shortages after cyber attack on vital US pipeline Just one house left unscathed on land scorched by California’s largest single forest fire ‘Possible hijack in progress’: Air traffic controller remembers 9/11 In pictures: Victims remembered 20 years after 9/11 attacks Travis Scott says he didn’t know fans were injured during crush that killed 10 people Father and son plead not guilty to starting California wildfire that saw 1,000 homes destroyed Panther the cat rescued after getting stuck for days on 36ft telegraph pole Man who made huge profits by inflating price of life-saving drug ordered to return £47m ‘I feel very lucky’: Tennis star Chris Evert opens up about ovarian cancer diagnosis SWAT team and FBI called to hostage situation at Texas synagogue