Officials confirmed Saturday afternoon that six people were killed during a significant collapse at the Edwardsville Amazon warehouse.
Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said in a press conference that 45 workers were able to get out on their own, but authorities have not been able to confirm how many workers were in the building at the time of the collapse Friday night.
One person sustained serious injuries and was airlifted from the scene to a St. Louis hospital.
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker confirmed that an EF-3 tornado hit the area about 8:30 p.m. Friday, adding, "This is a tragic day in Illinois history."
Rescuers and construction crews using heavy equipment worked throughout the day removing debris, searching for victims and assessing the building.
Saturday afternoon, authorities said they would continue their efforts during daylight hours and stop working at nighttime citing safety concerns.
Early coverage from Fox2Now.com Friday night showed over a dozen ambulances staged along a road at the entry to the warehouse and multiple fire apparatus surrounding the building.
In a post by Southern Illinois Fire Incidents on Facebook, it showed that close to two dozen fire/rescue and EMS agencies were dispatched to the Amazon facility, including the state's MABAS resources and the City of St. Louis Fire Department.
“He was on the phone with me while it was happening,” Aisha White told WMOV.com after she spoke with a family member inside the building. “The tornado was hitting the back of the building, the trucks were coming in, I told him to jump out the truck and duck. We watched the building go up, stuff hitting the cars, I told him I was on my way.”
The incident happened as severe weather moved through the St. Louis area around 8 p.m. Friday, with reports of widespread damage throughout multiple communities.
