Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tornadoes in St. Louis area leave at least 2 people dead

KSMU Radio

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tornadoes ripping through the St. Louis area caused at least two deaths, including one when an Amazon facility east of the city in Illinois was heavily damaged. Severe storms moved through the area Friday night and caused catastrophic damage across multiple states.

In Illinois, Edwardsville Police Chief Mike Fillback told reporters early Saturday morning that at least one person died at the Amazon facility there. The roof of the building was ripped off and a wall about the length of a football field collapsed.

In rural St. Charles County, Missouri, one person died and two others were injured when buildings collapsed near the town of Defiance. A twister was suspected to destroying several homes there and in the town of New Melle.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he fears tornadoes have killed 70 people in the state and the death toll may exceed 100.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Sarah Burgess said search and rescue teams are still going through the rubble but don’t yet have a number for how many have died.

Coroners have been called to the scene of a candle factory in western Kentucky and bodies have been recovered, but she didn’t know how many. She said it could take today and potentially longer to remove all of the rubble.