A major winter storm that began early on Friday has left a trail of destruction in the US as it ripped through five states, leading to the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in southern Illinois and multiple deaths at a nursing home in Arkansas.
Emergency vehicles have reached the Amazon fulfilment centre to begin rescue operations, with officials saying workers are believed to be trapped inside.
Tornadoes were also reported in Missouri and Tennessee, and Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in the early hours of Saturday, activating the Kentucky National Guard and the Kentucky State Police. He said an update with emergency management officials would be given at 5am on Saturday to assess the damage.
While the storm is affecting a large area that forecasters said could stretch to as much as half the country, the first deadly incident was reported at Monette Manor, a nursing home in Monette, Arkansas.
At least two residents were killed and five seriously injured after a tornado ripped through the facility at about 8.15pm on Friday night, trapping around 20 people inside the collapsing building, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day told the Associated Press.
Though the building was cleared within 90 minutes of its collapse and everyone believed to have been inside the building at the time has been accounted for, Mr Day said the search is still on as the crew fear the possibility of additional victims inside the debris.
"It looks like it’s pretty much destroyed," Mr Day said of the building. "... It happens quick but apparently there was a little bit of time with tornado sirens going off." Some residents were found in the basement "and were prepared for this," he said.
While it is not immediately clear how many people were injured at the partial building collapse reported at the Amazon centre near Edwardsville, Illinois, the Emergency Management Agency of Collinsville, Illinois called it a “mass casualty incident”.
One official told Fox News affiliate KTVI-TV that over 100 people were believed to be inside the building working the night shift at the time of the collapse.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker tweeted: "My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.
“Our [Illinois State Police] and [Ready Illinois] are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation.”
"The safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now," Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement Friday night. "We’re assessing the situation and will share additional information when it’s available."
Additional reporting by agencies
