The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the Amazon, Inc. warehouse that collapsed in Illinois on Friday during a devastating tornado outbreak, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed to Spectrum News.
The collapse killed six workers and left one individual hospitalized with serious injuries as of Monday morning, according to Edwardsville city officials. A total of 45 employees survived the tornado strike, and all workers who were present at the warehouse at the time of the incident are now accounted for.
“OSHA has had compliance officers at the complex since Saturday, December 11 to provide assistance,” the spokesperson said in part. “OSHA has six months to complete its investigation, issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found.”
The administration will not release any further information until the investigation is complete. OSHA, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, is responsible for ensuring employers meet health and safety standards in the workplace.
Officials with the Edwardsville Fire Department are still working to clear debris from the building, at which point they will give control of the area back to Amazon.
In a press conference on Sunday, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said both sides of the warehouse used to prepare orders for delivery collapsed inward and the roof caved in when the twister hit the facility around 8:35 p.m. on Friday.
The Amazon facility, among three in Edwardsville, is a 1.1 million square foot (102,193 square meter) “delivery station” that employs about 190 workers across several shifts, according to Amazon. The facility, which opened in July 2020, prepares orders for “last-mile delivery” to customers. Edwardsville is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the tornado,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. “We’re continuing to support our employees and partners in the area.”
Amazon has so far committed $1 million to the Edwardsville Community Foundation to support relief efforts across the city.
Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn on Sunday identified the six people who were killed.
Four were from Illinois: 26-year-old Austin J. McEwen of Edwardsville, 29-year-old Clayton Lynn Cope of Alton, 46-year-old Larry E. Virden of Collinsville and 62-year-old Kevin D. Dickey of Carlyle. Two others — 28-year-old Deandre S. Morrow and 34-year-old Etheria S. Hebb — were from St. Louis.
The tornado responsible for the Amazon warehouse collapse was part of a swarm of weekend twisters across the Midwest and the South that leveled entire communities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
