Macon Reporter

State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) is asking individuals to join him in offering prayers for those affected when an Amazon delivery station in Edwardsville was hit by a tornado. Six people were killed.

“It’s been a tough weekend in central Illinois,” Halbrook posted to Facebook. “Please join me in praying for the families suffering from loss or injury. Also for the emergency personnel and utility workers along with all those trying to get life back to normal for everyone affected by this late Friday night storm.”

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has now launched a probe into the deadly tragedy that took place at the height of the busy holiday shopping season.

"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," spokesman Scott Allen told ABC News in a statement. "No further information will be available until OSHA has completed their investigation."

City officials added one other person still remains hospitalized with "serious injuries."

Edwardsville city officials have identified the names of the six deceased as Larry Virden, 46, Deandre Morrow, 28, of St. Louis, Missouri; Kevin Dickey, 62, of Carlyle, Illinois; Clayton Lynn Cope, 29, of Alton, Illinois; Etheria Hebb, 34, of St. Louis, Missouri; and Austin McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville, Illinois.

Amazon officials said the delivery facility ravaged by the storm was opened in July 2020 and was approximately 1.1 million square feet with approximately 190 employees across multiple shifts. The company said it is donating $1 million to the Edwardsville Community Foundation, and it is working with local officials to assist with recovery efforts.

Company officials said when the site received tornado warnings, employees worked quickly to ensure as many people as possible could get to a designated shelter-in-place location.

Not all employees agree that Amazon employees were adequately kept abreast of developments by management.

“I know it’s the weekend and Amazon was busy blasting Michael Strahan and other wealthy people into space but can we get any kind of statement about the mass casualty incident in Illinois,” an employee at the nearby Indiana fulfillment center wrote on the company’s “Voice of Associates” message board soon after the storm had hit.

“I feel something could be said or a plan of action to review tornado and [severe] weather safety could be announced,” the employee added. “We had tornado touch downs not far” from the Jacksonville, Indiana, fulfillment center.

At least a dozen Amazon employees spoke out about what they see as a lack of workplace safety at the company that extends beyond extreme weather events, according to The Intercept, which added “many workers said they had never had a tornado or even a fire drill over the course of their careers at Amazon.”

Workers are now demanding better safety practices in hopes of avoiding any repeat of the tragedy that took place in Edwardsville.

“I’m sure we all have heard about the Amazon in Illinois that got totally destroyed by a tornado,” wrote a second employee in the Indiana fulfillment center, “curious as to why we don’t have tornado drills like we do fire drills?”

A third employee later added, “I have been here six and a half years and have never once been involved in a tornado safety drill on my shift, as well as have not taken part in a fire safety drill in about two years. This whole situation has got me thinking our site really needs to revise its safety drills because you never know when disaster and tragedy can strike."