Billionaire Jeff Bezos says that he’s “heartbroken” after at least six Amazon employees were killed at a facility in Edwardsville, Illinois after a tornado struck the area, Friday. Bezos reflected on the tragedy, Saturday, after being criticized for posting about his latest Blue Origin space trip.
“The news from Edwardsville is tragic,” he said in a statement on Twitter. “We’re heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones.”
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He continued: “All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site.”
The tornado hit Amazon’s facility at 8:30 PM on Friday in the midst of a shift change. At least 45 Amazon employees were trapped in the building for an extended period of time while search teams attempted to rescue them.
At least 70 people across five states died during the storm as a whole.
Amazon has decided to donate $1 million to the Edwardsville Community Foundation.
Check out Bezos’ statement on Twitter below.
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