By Peter McLaren-Kennedy • Published: 11 Dec 2021 • 8:13
A powerful storm that has unleashed at least 19 tornadoes has hit Central USA, causing devastation in its path and leaving at leaast 100 Amazon workers trapped in the collapsed building.
The storm which has crossed five states has caused significant damage to property and has resulted in the loss of at least two lives. Amongst the damage is the news that an Amazon warehouse has collapsed trapping at least 100 workers inside.
Emergency teams and first responders are on the scene and are working to rescue those trapped inside the building. Those that have seen the warehouse in Madison County report that the roof has gone causing between 75 and 150 metres of concrete walls to collapse into the building and an area where staff were working.
It is not known how many people have been injured but authorities have declared it a “mass casualty incident”.
A warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) just hours before the building collapsed, with gale force winds of up to 100 kms an hour predicted. The forecast also spoke of possible hail storms “the size of ping pong balls”.
The NWS radar confirms that one tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Amazon, causing power outages and damage to property. Videos of the storm and the damage are starting to appear online.
Richard Rocha, a spokesperson for Amazon referring to the 100 Amazon workers trapped, said: “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.”
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Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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