‘Mass casualty incident’ at Illinois Amazon warehouse collapse [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• An Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, collapsed Friday due to severe weather.
• At least 6 deaths have been confirmed and an unknown number of people are still missing.
• Officials said Saturday it is now a recovery operation as they do not expect to find more survivors.

At least six workers have died and an unknown number are missing after an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, collapsed Friday night due to severe weather, according to authorities.

One person was airlifted to a regional hospital and 45 people made it out of the wreckage safely, James Whiteford, the Edwardsville fire chief, said during a news conference Saturday.

“We don’t expect that anyone will be surviving at this point,” Whiteford said, adding that the rescue operation has now become a recovery operation. The recovery is expected to last an additional three days, with searches conducted during daylight hours.

The number of people who were inside the warehouse at the time of collapse is unknown. Whiteford said Amazon did not have a specific count and there was a shift change underway when it happened.

Officials said the collapse was caused by tornadoes and severe storms that ripped through five states: Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. 

A wall the length of a football field and the roof above it collapsed in the warehouse around 8:33 p.m. Rescue teams were onsite overnight, combing through the rubble, officials said.

Amazon said it was providing support for “employees and partners in the area.”

“We’re deeply saddened by the news that members of our Amazon family passed away as a result of the storm in Edwardsville, IL,” a representative for Amazon said in a statement to Insider. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. We also want to thank all the first responders for their ongoing efforts on scene.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference Saturday it was a “tragic day in Illinois history.”

“Everyone assumes that they’ll be safe at work,” he said, speaking to the people who lost loved ones. “Please know the people of Illinois stand with you.”

Pritzker said he spoke with President Joe Biden, who offered to provide federal assistance to help with the recovery.

Describing the warehouse during a press conference earlier on Saturday, Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback said it was an “utter disaster” with a portion of the building “completely destroyed.”

More than 11 emergency service departments from surrounding areas responded to the scene. 

Source: Insider