Forty-five people escaped the building, with one person airlifted to an area hospital for treatment, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said at a news conference Saturday night.
“Earlier this afternoon, the response portion of this incident ended and we are now focused solely on fixing,” Whiteford said.
The recovery phase is expected to take another three days, and first responders will continue to “search the site for evidence of life,” he said.
Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Dave Clark said the company’s employees are saddened by the loss of lives at the facility and beyond.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by the path of the hurricane across the United States. We are continuing to support the victims. our staff and partners in the region and across communities impacted by the storm. We also want to thank all of the first responders for their ongoing efforts on the scene.” , Clark said in a tweet.
The sheriff said about 150 yards of the building collapsed after the tornado hit at 8:35 p.m. CT on Friday.
Edwardsville is a short walk from St. Louis, Missouri about 25 miles northwest.
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