Aerial view of homes submerged under flood waters from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky, on July 28, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

Flash flooding caused by torrential rains has killed at least 15 people in eastern Kentucky and the death toll is expected to double, the US state's governor said Friday.

"It is devastating. Our number of Kentuckians we've lost is now at 15, expected to more than double. And it's going to include some children," Governor Andy Beshear told CNN.