At least one person has reportedly died inside a huge Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, after a roof and other parts of the building collapsed and up to 100 workers became trapped as violent storms, including a tornado, ripped through the region on Friday night.
Dozens of other people were trapped and at least 50 feared dead after tornadoes hit a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and a nursing home in Monette, Arkansas, where at least one person was killed.
At least three storm-related deaths were also confirmed in Tennessee.
Law enforcement authorities called the Amazon warehouse incident a “mass casualty event,” according to reporter Jenna Rae at KMOV-TV in St. Louis.
Up to 100 people were believed to be inside the building, working the night shift during the holiday rush, at the time of the collapse.
Rae reported late Friday that about two dozen workers were transported from the facility on Madison County Transit buses. A medical evacuation helicopter arrived on the scene shortly afterward, and excavators were early Saturday still removing debris as the search and rescue operation continued.
Driving to the partial warehouse collapse in Edwardsville, looks like almost half the building is damaged @KMOVpic.twitter.com/wDMKJNPqmB
— Susan El Khoury (@SusanElKhoury) December 11, 2021
The National Weather Service said radar had confirmed a tornado just east of Edwardsville, about 25 miles northeast of St. Louis, around the time the Amazon Fulfillment Center was damaged.
Meteorologist James Spann of ABC’s Birmingham, Alabama, affiliate WBMA tweeted footage of the tornado that struck the Amazon facility:
Video of the tornado that hit the Amazon facility near Edwardsville, IL tonight… from Danielle Henke pic.twitter.com/5CNbJ03VzI
— James Spann (@spann) December 11, 2021
Severe storm warnings and tornado watches had been posted throughout the region on Friday.
In Tennessee, at least three deaths have been attributed to the weather.
In Arkansas, at least one person was killed, five people were seriously injured and around 20 were trapped by a possible tornado at the Monette Manor nursing home, according to The Associated Press. All survivors have since been accounted for.
Dozens were also trapped and feared dead after a tornado struck a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky.
“There were about 110 people in it at the time that the tornado hit it,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said at a news conference early Saturday. “We believe we’ll lose at least dozens of those individuals. It’s very hard, really tough, and we’re praying for each and every one of those families.”
“We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians, probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives.”
Governor, Andy Beshear says this has been “one of toughest nights in Kentucky history”.
Get more on this story: https://t.co/jMKm8bW7aepic.twitter.com/7uSIxiW5nM
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 11, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Related…
Source: Read Full Article
