Watch Now: 6 Dead In Amazon Warehouse Collapse In Illinois, Authorities Say | State and regional

Six people were killed in the Amazon warehouse collapse in Edwardsville, Ill., And another injured worker was airlifted to a hospital, Fire Chief James Whiteford said on Saturday.

Investigators searched the rubble throughout the day for additional casualties and 45 people survived, Whiteford said. Authorities weren’t sure Saturday night if anyone was still missing because workers were changing shifts when she was hit by the tornado around 8:30 p.m. Friday.

“This is a devastating tragedy for our Amazon family and our goal is to support our employees and partners,” Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a written statement.

The Retailers, Wholesalers and Department Stores Union, which tried to organize workers at an Amazon plant in Alabama, criticized the company for keeping the Illinois site open during a weather emergency.

Governor JB Pritzker addressed the families of the victims directly at a press conference on Saturday, calling the loss “devastating”.

“I can’t imagine the pain you are feeling right now,” Pritzker said. “Please know that the people of Illinois are with you. We are one Illinois. At this time and in the days and years to come, you are not alone.”

Winter storms, which also wreaked havoc in parts of central Illinois, put “a tough end to a tough year,” the governor said.

“Sadly, the people of this state have too often been asked in recent years to persevere through difficult times,” he said. “But time and time again Illinoisians find a way to do just that, by lifting each other up – and on nights like last night, literally offering a helping hand to their neighbors trapped in the wreckage.

“We have to remember this holiday season that even on the worst days Illinoisians are finding ways to show the best of themselves. In an age when what divides us is so highly regarded. gives me hope. ”