Davenport, Iowa – a Partially collapsed residential building A demolition in eastern Iowa is scheduled for Tuesday morning, despite calls for a delay from community members who say loved ones are still missing.
A six-story building partially collapsed Sunday afternoon in Davenport, a city in Iowa’s Scott County located along the Mississippi River. The building includes a total of 84 apartments between residential and commercial, according to Davenport Mayor Mike Mattson and Davenport Fire President Michael Carlsten. The cause of the collapse is not known and the investigation is still ongoing.
More than a dozen people evacuated the building at the time of the collapse, while another nine were rescued in the hours that followed. Mattson and Carlsten said at a news conference Monday morning that the eighth victim was pulled from the site late Sunday and taken to a hospital in an unknown condition. At the time, no deaths had been confirmed and there was no reliable information that anyone was missing.
local ABC affiliate WQAD He was at the scene when the ninth victim was recovered late Monday. A large crowd gathered at the site, demanding “accountability” and pleading with officials not to demolish the building because they believed more survivors could be inside.
More than 150 individuals took part in “extensive rescue operations” using thermal imaging, drones and a team of service dogs in an effort to locate victims inside the building, according to a news release from the Davenport City Government. As of Monday evening, the city said, crews had found “no life-affirming signs.”
The city engaged an independent, certified structural engineer to assess the structural integrity of the building. The city said the engineer had determined the building was “at imminent risk of collapse as conditions on the site continue to deteriorate.” Officials are working with a local contractor on a plan to safely dismantle and demolish the remaining structure.
A notice and demolition order has been served on the property owner. The demolition is expected to begin on Tuesday morning. Because of the precarious condition, residents will not be allowed to return to the building prior to demolition, according to the city.
“With the existing structure in imminent danger of collapse, the necessity to demolish this particular building stems from our desire to maintain as much integrity as possible for the surrounding areas,” said Rich Oswald, City of Davenport’s Director of Development and Neighborhood Services. he said in a statement released late Monday. “We value the expertise of the specialists who are collaborating on site to determine the best way to do this.”
In the meantime, the Davenport Police Department is working to contact and account for all individuals known to be residents of the building at the time of the collapse, according to the city.
The community organized a demonstration at the scene to protest the demolition plan on Tuesday morning.
Joni Woods told ABC News that her nephew, Brendan Colvin, is a resident of the building and his fate remains unknown. She expressed her frustration with the officials’ willingness to proceed with the demolition as scheduled.
“It’s like burying them under rubble,” Woods told ABC News on Tuesday. “This is ridiculous.”
“We feel like they don’t care,” she added. “Our relatives and loved ones do not count.”
ABC News’ Larissa DeMiccio, Andy Weiss, Jessica Gorman, Ahmad Hemingway, Alex Perez and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
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