REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant
- An Amazon warehouse in Collinsville, Illinois, has collapsed.
- No injuries or deaths have been confirmed, but one person was seen being airlifted to hospital.
- The collapse is due to severe weather hitting the state of Illinois.
An Amazon warehouse in Collinsville, Illinois, has collapsed due to severe weather.
On their Facebook, the Collinsville Emergency Management Agency stated that “subjects were trapped inside” and described the event as a “mass casualty incident.”
The number of casualties has not yet been confirmed, but Sky News reports that one person was flown to hospital from the warehouse.
Authorities have confirmed a search and rescue operation is in place, Reuters reports.
Approximately three hours after the collapse was reported, 46 Amazon workers who had been rescued from the building were bussed by Madison County Transit to the Pontoon Beach Police Department, KMOV reported.
The collapse is due to tornados and severe storms surging through five states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois tweeted that “[his] prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.”
When KMOV reached out to Amazon for comment, spokesperson Richard Rocha offered the following statement: “The safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now. We’re assessing the situation and will share additional information when it’s available.”
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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