Officials Say Tornado Was Factor In Fatal Amazon Building Collapse
DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) — A tornado was the cause of the fatal building collapse in Dundalk Friday.
The National Weather Service confirmed Saturday that a EF-1 tornado touched down along the Baltimore city-county line.
According to Baltimore Fire Chief Roman Clark, firefighters responded to a call for a partial building collapse at the Amazon facility at the same time when severe weather rolled through the region.
2 Dead In 'Partial' Building Collapse At Baltimore Amazon Center
On Saturday morning, crews found a man's body in the rubble. They were told Friday night that one person was unaccounted for after they responded to the scene.
A man was found injured Friday and he was pronounced dead later at an area hospital.
According to Rachael Lighty, Regional Manager of External Communications for Amazon Operations, the two victims were third-party contractors and not Amazon employees.
It's been a long night for crews who have been on the scene since the call was made Friday.
They had to bring specialized equipment to move the rubble which includes concrete.
'It Sounded Like Bombs' | Amazon Employee Describes Building Collapse
Amazon released a statement Saturday about the incident.
"Last night, severe weather impacted one of our facilities in Baltimore City resulting in two fatalities. First responders remain onsite assessing the damage," said Dave Clark, Sr Vice President of Operations for Amazon. "The safety of our employees and contractors is our top priority and at this time the building remains closed. We are incredibly thankful for the quick response from emergency services. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families impacted by Friday evening's tragic event."
Debris could be seen along Holabird Avenue at Broening Highway where the Amazon center is located.
Severe weather in the area caused damage to the roof of an apartment building in Dundalk as well, displacing residents.
A Mt. Airy TJ Maxx also reported damage from stormy weather.
This story is developing. Stay with WJZ for the latest.
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