2 Amazon warehouse deaths confirmed in Illinois after collapse during severe storm

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At least two Amazon workers in Illinois were killed and others injured Friday night when a warehouse collapsed during a severe storm that moved through the St. Louis area. 

Tornadoes and storms swept across several Midwest and Southern states, including Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee, leaving destruction in their wake. 

Local emergency responders called the fulfillment center collapse in Edwardsville, Illinois, about 25 miles east of St. Louis, a “mass casualty incident.”

Thirty people were bused to Pontoon Beach, Illinois, to be reunited with family, officials said.

A wall the length of a football field and the warehouse’s roof collapsed. Around 100 emergency vehicles descended upon the fulfillment center where dozens of workers were reportedly trapped. 

Emergency vehicles stage outside an Amazon fulfillment center after it was heavily damaged when a strong thunderstorm moved through the area Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Edwardsville, Illinois.
(Associated Press)

The families of the victims were being notified early Saturday, according to the Edwardsville Police Department. 

As many as 50 to 100 employees were believed to be inside the building, according to Fox 2’s Amelia Mugavero.

First responders work outside an Amazon fulfillment center after it was heavily damaged when a strong thunderstorm moved through the area Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Edwardsville, Illinois.
(Associated Press)

“My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement posted to Twitter. “Our @ILStatePolice and @ReadyIllinois are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation.” 

At least five deaths were confirmed in the storms, according to The Associated Press early Saturday: three in Tennessee, one in Arkansas and one in Missouri. 

The death toll was expected to rise, particularly in Kentucky, where Gov. Andy Beshear warned residents that an estimated four tornadoes striking the state may have killed as many as 100 people across about five counties.

First responders work outside an Amazon fulfillment center after it was heavily damaged when a strong thunderstorm moved through the area Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Edwardsville, Illinois.
(Associated Press)

Fox News’ Dom Calicchio and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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