Amazon Warehouse Collapse
An Amazon warehouse center in Edwardsville, Illinois, partially collapsed after being hit by strong storms leaving at least six dead. Among the six workers that were killed, 45 other people were rescued safely.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokeswoman, said about 190 people worked at the delivery station across all its shifts but declined to comment on how many were full-time workers. She said the tornado formed in the parking lot, hit, and then dissipated.
The tornado struck at the end of a shift, as drivers returned their vans, unloaded items, and headed home.
Despite a series of statements released by Amazon after the fatal incident, the company has provided few details about specific protocols that were implemented at the Edwardsville delivery station.
Walls on both sides of the warehouse collapsed inward, while the roof collapsed downward. Aerial footage of the wreckage showed dozens of vans, many of which had Amazonโs logo, underneath the rubble. Some of the vans were U-Hauls, which the contractors sometimes rent to serve demand during busy periods.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the building collapse at the Amazon Warehouse in Edwardsville.
โOSHA has six months to complete its investigation, issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found. No further information will be available until OSHA has completed their investigationโ, a statement made by Scott Allen, an OSHA spokesperson.
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