Jail inmates 'worked their tails off' to rescue people trapped in the ruins of the Kentucky candle factory, says tornado survivor

• The roof of Mayfield Consumer Products factory collapsed on Friday night after it was slammed by a tornado.
• Inmates from a local jail "worked their tails off" to help trapped workers escape the ruins, per NBC News.

Jail inmates were "working their tails off" to rescue people trapped in the ruins of a Kentucky candle factory after it was leveled by a tornado on Friday night, a factory worker told NBC News.

Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who Insider interviewed about her experience of being trapped under debris, told NBC News that she saw inmates from Graves County Jail taking part in the effort to free factory workers from the rubble.

"They were helping," she said emphatically during the video interview. "And to see inmates — because you know they could have used that moment to try to run away or anything — they did not. They were there. They were helping us."

Reports emerged late Saturday that seven inmates from Graves County Jail were working a late shift at Mayfield Consumer Products factory as part of a program when one of Friday night's tornadoes caused the roof to collapse.

According to The Washington Post, the inmates were treated for minor injuries before being transferred to another jail.

One of the jail's employees, reportedly supervising the inmates, did not make it out alive.

"We lost 1 of our staff members," said a post shared on Grave County Jail's Facebook page on Saturday night.

The jail provided no further details on the employee's identity, noting in the post that this was for the sake of the person's family.

"We could use your prayers. We will pull through this as only Graves County could," the Facebook post concluded.

Insider reached out to Graves County Jail for comment but did not receive a response.

More than 100 people were inside the candle factory when it was flattened, per WLKY.

At least 40 people were rescued from the facility, The Washington Post reported.

"It'll be a miracle if anyone else is found alive in it," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Saturday night.

The exact number of people who remain in the factory ruins is unclear ,but The Post said that at least 40 people remain unaccounted for and are feared dead.