The body of Kevon Ricks was uncovered after a fire erupted at a QVC facility in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, last weekend. The 21-year-old, who was the father of a 1-year-old, reportedly was found at a loading dock of the building. He was the sole fatality.
According to a statement from Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 11:30 am, Sunday morning, December 19, Fire Search and Recover members located Rick’s body “on the outbound side of the loading dock of QVC.” The recovery came just one day after the fire exploded inside the warehouse just after 2 a.m.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Ricks as well as all team members affected by this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office added.
Stephanie Randolph, Rick’s godmother, told news station WTVD that family members had not heard from Ricks since 1:15, Saturday morning, roughly 45 minutes before the fire began.”I’ve been crying all day. I’m not hurt for just myself, not just for his mother, not just for his son. I’m hurt for my son. I’m hurt for people who know he’s a humble guy,” she shared. “He’s a great person.”
Edgecombe County Manager Eric Evans suggested that Ricks may have died of smoke inhalation since the fire did not spread to the part of the building where he was found. Forty-five crews from six agencies responded and worked to extinguish the flames for several hours.
Gov. Roy Cooper sent out a message on Twitter Sunday afternoon, writing, “I’m saddened by the loss of life during the QVC Distribution Center fire in Rocky Mount.” He added, “I’ve been in contact with local and state officials about that tragedy and taking steps to help families hurt by the loss of more than 2000 jobs.”
QVC released a statement stating that “At this time, we are focused on the safety and well-being of our team members. In addition, we are also working to understand the full impact to products and orders and will provide further details to our customers are soon as they are available.”
It added, “We are working with the local authorities to investigate the source of this issue and will provide another update when appropriate.” Authorities and crew members are still working to determine what started the fire.
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