Iowa building collapse – live: Search of Davenport apartment wreckage is called off amid safety fears

A dramatic rescue effort will enter its recovery phase nearly 24 hours after part of an apartment building collapsed in Davenport, Iowa.

A section of the red brick building on the city’s Main Street came down at around 5pm on Sunday, with alarming photos from the scene showing at least one-fourth of the structure’s units destroyed.

As of Monday morning, a total of eight people had been rescued from the wreckage and the number of people missing remains unclear. No deaths have been reported but officials have yet to locate at least one resident of the complex that is still missing.

Municipal council member Kyle Gripp said in an update on Monday evening that the building is not salvageable and will be torn down on Tuesday. No residents will be allowed back into the building before demolition begins due to its unstable condition.

Pauletta Joeanna told The Independent on Monday evening that her great-grandmother Lisa Brooks became trapped in the wreckage while she tried to escape the collapse. Ms Brooks, who lived in apartment 403, was on the phone with another relative when she suddenly hung up.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined but some residents described the sound it created as an “explosion”. Residents living in the area reported that the building was known to have problems, including visible water damage.

Key Points

• Search continues for survivors of horror building collapse

• Residents say building was known to have issues: ‘Our bathroom caved in December'

• Gas leak noted as possible cause as fire chief warns of secondary collapse

• ‘Everything just fell down'

Eight people rescued as Davenport residential block partially collapses

Monday 29 May 2023 22:01 , Andrea Blanco

A six-storey apartment building and business complex in downtown Davenport, Iowa, partially collapsed on Sunday evening.

Eight people were rescued and responders spent all night searching the debris for anyone caught up in the disaster but so far no fatalities have been reported.

The precise cause of the incident is not known although a gas leak was noted in its aftermath and residents have since said that a number of problems with its facilities had been reported and that work had been underway to improve it within the last week.

Governor offers support to city

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mayor Mike Matson said at the earlier press conference that he had spoken to state governor Kim Reynolds, who offered her assistance in the response to the disaster.

Gov Reynolds said the Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security and emergency management officials are also assisting in the response.

“This is an active scene,” the mayor said. “We will continue to work, continue to evaluate, with the whole purpose of trying to find people and trying to get them out.”

Tenant says she had complained to the city about building issues

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Jennifer Smith, whose business is located in the building, said she first heard about the explosion from her husband, who works for Mid-American Energy.

“He was on call and got called in for a building explosion downtown. We had no idea it was our building,” Ms Smith told the Quad-City Times.

“It sounds bad, but we have been calling the city and giving complaints since December. Our bathroom caved in December.”

Contractor recounts moment building collapsed

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Tadd Machovec, a contractor from Davenport, said he was inside and was working to put up a support beam when the building came down.

Resident Todd Wilson said that he received a call from the city last year telling him to evacuate his apartment within 48 hours because bricks were falling off.

“What they did was they switched ownership and they gave them time to fix it, but they didn’t do it properly,” Mr Wilson told the Quad-City Times.

Ongoing repairs were taking place during collapse

03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Residents of the building had long complained about issues with it. Last year, nearly 20 permits were filed, mainly for plumbing or electrical issues, according to the Associated Press.

The last permit for the building was filed on March 2 and had “misc” listed in the description.

Officials confirmed at Monday’s press conference that the building owner had permits to make exterior wall repairs.

What caused the collapse?

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

The cause of the collapse has not been determined, officials said. After responding to the scene, authorities found a gas leak after the collapse and water also had leaked throughout the floors of the structure.

Rich Oswald, City of Davenport director of development and neighbourhood services, said that work was being done on the building’s exterior after reports of bricks falling from the building last week.

‘When we started to go back in the lights went out’

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Recounting the moments leading up to the collapse, second-floor resident Robert Robinson also told the Quad-City Times that he walked outside for a smoke break and went back in as alarms went off.

“When we started to go back in the lights went out,” he told the newspaper. “All of a sudden everybody started running out saying the building collapsed. I’m glad we came down when we did.”

Mr Robinson and his girlfriend were able to take the elevator down just in time, he said.

“This is horrible,” he said. “We don’t have anywhere to go. Nothing to eat.”

ICYMI: Rescue efforts continue after a residential building collapsed in Davenport

Tuesday 30 May 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

A rear section of the six-storey apartment complex on 324 Main Street collapsed at around 5pm on Sunday. No deaths have been reported as of Monday, but search crews continue combing through the rubble as the number of missing residents remains unknown.

Eight people have been rescued from the wreckage, according to Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten.

Although the cause of the collapse has not been determined, some residents described the sound it created as an “explosion”. Mr Carlsten also said during a press conference that several 911 calls were placed by residents complaining about a “strong smell of gas.”

Residents living in the area reported that the building was known to have problems, including visible water damage.

Resident recounts narrow escape

Monday 29 May 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Rescuers were called to the scene shortly before 5pm on Sunday. Mr Carlsten said the back of the apartment complex collapsed and had separated from the building, which houses apartments on the upper floors and businesses on the ground level.

Building resident Lexus Berry told The Quad-City Times that she narrowly escaped but her wife and cats became trapped as the building collapsed. Ms Berry had just taken pictures of a separation between a wall and the bathroom doorway before she tried to make it to safety.

“We both grab our cats, she grabbed one, I grabbed one, got to the door,” Ms Berry told the outlet. “I watched her, and everything just fell down and everything fell on top of me, and I barely made it out the door … There was nothing left where I was standing at. Everything else was gone.”

Search efforts called off, demolition expected on Tuesday

Monday 29 May 2023 21:00 , Andrea Blanco

Eight people were rescued from the wreckage following the collapse.

K-9 units left the scene on Monday afternoon after authorities said there was no sign of residents trapped under the rubble. However, at least one resident of the apartment complex is unaccounted for.

Municipal council member Kyle Gripp said in an update on Monday evening that the building is not salvageable and will be torn down on Tuesday. The Davenport Development and Neighborhood Services Department will oversee demolition operations.

No residents will be allowed back into the building before demolition begins due to its unstable condition.

“The owner of the property has been served with a notice and order for demolition of the property,” Mr Gripp said.

“The property is currently being secured by a contractor on site this afternoon and demolition is expected to commence in the morning.”

Desperate family members search for missing collapse victim

Monday 29 May 2023 20:20 , Andrea Blanco

Pauletta Joeanna told The Independent on Monday evening that her great-grandmother Lisa Brooks became trapped in the wreckage while she tried to escape the collapse.

Ms Joeanna said Ms Brooks, who lived in apartment 403, was on the phone with another relative when she suddenly hung up.

Ms Brooks’ family is now pleading for assistance to locate her. Search crews are at the scene combing through the rubble, but according to fire officials, they will enter the recovery phase of their response later today.

Demolition to begin Tuesday morning, officials say

Monday 29 May 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco

Municipal council member Kyle Gripp said in an update on Monday evening that the building is not salvageable and will be torn down on Tuesday. No residents will be allowed back into the building before demolition begins due to its unstable condition.

“The owner of the property has been served with a notice and order for demolition of the property,” Mr Gripp said.

“The property is currently being secured by a contractor on site this afternoon and demolition is expected to commence in the morning.”

‘There was nothing left’: Everything we know about the building collapse in Iowa

Monday 29 May 2023 19:40 , Andrea Blanco

No casualties have been reported but search efforts continue as the number of missing residents remains unknown.

Read more:

Everything we know about Iowa building collapse as rescue and search efforts continue

Search to enter recovery phase, fire chief says

Monday 29 May 2023 19:10 , Andrea Blanco

Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene.

An air ambulance landed at the site of the emergency on Sunday night to transport victims of the collapse, while K-9 units and search crews remain on site combing through the wreckage.

First responders from the Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities region are expected to wrap up operations today before entering the recovery phase of their response.

Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said no one is believed to be trapped in the rubble but authorities have been unable to locate some residents of the building because they do not have cellphones.

Red Cross sends rescue response to the scene

Monday 29 May 2023 18:50 , Andrea Blanco

Red Cross volunteers are working alongside first responders and the Davenport community after the building collapse.

The Center for Active Seniors (CASI) is serving as a shelter for those impacted. Residents in need of accommodation are asked to call 1-800-Red-Cross for details.

Desperate family members search for missing collapse victim

Monday 29 May 2023 18:24 , Andrea Blanco

Pauletta Joeanna told The Independent on Monday evening that her great-grandmother Lisa Brooks became trapped in the wreckage while she tried to escape the collapse.

Ms Joeanna said Ms Brooks, who lived in apartment 403, was on the phone with another relative when she suddenly hung up.

Ms Brooks’ family is now pleading for assistance to locate her. Search crews are at the scene combing through the rubble, but according to fire officials, they will enter the recovery phase of their response later today.

Building owner had permits to make exterior wall repairs

Monday 29 May 2023 17:58 , Andrea Blanco

Residents of the building had long complained about issues with it. Last year, nearly 20 permits were filed, mainly for plumbing or electrical issues, according to the Associated Press. The last permit for the building was filed on March 2 and had “misc” listed in the description.

Officials confirmed on Monday’s press conference that the building owner had permits to make exterior wall repairs.

Tadd Machovec, a contractor from Davenport, said he was inside and was working to put up a support beam when the building came down.

The Quad-City Times reports the builder owner is 41-year-old Andrew Wold. According to a profile published on the outlet’s website in 2016, Mr Wold is an avid real estate buyer with a massive portfolio.

“I like to buy blocks,” he said at the time. “I like to be able to control the area, to kind of police it.”

A working phone number for Mr Wold was not immediately available on Monday.

What caused the collapse?

Monday 29 May 2023 17:38 , Andrea Blanco

The cause of the collapse has not been determined, officials said. After responding to the scene, authorities found a gas leak after the collapse and water also had leaked throughout the floors of the structure.

Rich Oswald, City of Davenport director of development and neighbourhood services, said that work was being done on the building’s exterior after reports of bricks falling from the building last week. Mr Oswald said the owner had a permit for the project.

Recap: Eight people rescued as Davenport residential block partially collapses

Monday 29 May 2023 17:30 , Joe Sommerlad

If you are just joining us, a six-storey apartment building and business complex in downtown Davenport, Iowa, partially collapsed on Sunday evening.

Eight people were rescued and responders spent all night searching the debris for anyone caught up in the disaster but so far no fatalities have been reported.

The precise cause of the incident is not known although a gas leak was noted in its aftermath and residents have since said that a number of problems with its facilities had been reported and that work had been underway to improve it within the last week.

Read more:

Desperate search for survivors after apartment building collapses in Iowa

Local resident: ‘I don’t believe they had good enough supports to be doing that kind of work’

Monday 29 May 2023 17:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a little more from the scene, posted to social media by Davenport natives.

This woman being interviewed by local radio says she lived in the building and that she had seen some of the work underway to address brickwork “starting to peel from the building” last week – as alluded to by city development director Rich Oswald – and expresses scepticism about the manner in which it was being carried out.

Iowa governor offers assistance

Monday 29 May 2023 16:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Mayor Matson said at the earlier press conference that he had spoken to state governor Kim Reynolds, who offered her assistance in the response to the disaster.

“This is an active scene,” the mayor said.

“We will continue to work, continue to evaluate, with the whole purpose of trying to find people and trying to get them out.”

Videos capture aftermath of Davenport building collapse

Monday 29 May 2023 16:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A short clip circulating on social media shows emergency services personnel and a crowd of bystanders looking on at the scene of yesterday’s disaster.

A close-up short reveals water raining down from burst pipes and the rubble of former apartments now reduced to ruin.

Local media also have this drone footage from the air, revealing the urban context in which the building is situated, with St Anthony’s Church visible nearby, as citizens are urged to avoid the downtown area.

‘Everything just fell down'

Monday 29 May 2023 15:45 , Andrea Blanco

Building resident Lexus Berry narrowly escaped but her wife and cats became trapped as the building collapsed. Ms Betty told The Quad-City Times that they had just taken a picture of a separation between a wall and the bathroom doorway when they tried to make it downstairs.

“We both grab our cats, she grabbed one, I grabbed one, got to the door,” Ms Berry told the outlet. “I watched her, and everything just fell down and everything fell on top of me, and I barely made it out the door… I got out, but there was nothing left but where I was standing at. Everything else was gone.

Recounting the moments leading up to the collapse, second-floor resident Robert Robinson also told The QCT that he walked outside for a smoke break and went back in as alarms went off.

“When we started to go back in the lights went out,” he told the newspaper. “All of a sudden everybody started running out saying the building collapsed. I’m glad we came down when we did.”

Mr Robinson and his girlfriend were able to take the elevator down just in time, he said.

“This is horrible,” he said. “We don’t have anywhere to go. Nothing to eat.”

Gas leak noted as possible cause as fire chief warns of secondary collapse

Monday 29 May 2023 15:33 , Joe Sommerlad

Fire Chief Carlsten also said during the news conference that the back of the six-storey residential complex had not only collapsed but separated from the building during Sunday’s incident, compromising its apartments on the upper floors and businesses at ground level.

Authorities found a gas leak after the collapse, he added, also saying that water had leaked throughout the floors of the structure.

The stability of the building remains a concern as rescue workers continue their investigations at the scene, Mr Carlsten noted.

Fire chief gives early morning update

Monday 29 May 2023 15:15 , Megan Sheets

Davenport fire chief Michael Carlsten held a news conference on Monday morning to provide an update on search efforts.

He said one person was rescued from the wreckage overnight – bringing the total number of rescues to eight. More than a dozen others were escorted out of the building in the immediate aftermath of the collapse.

Mr Carlsten said it is unclear if anyone is still missing, but the search is ongoing.

“No known individuals are trapped in that facility,” he said.

The fire chief did not disclose the number of people injured or the extent of any injuries. The one person rescued overnight was taken to the hospital, he said.

Davenport mayor Mike Matson also spoke at the press conference and thanked first responders for their efforts.

“When something like this happens here, and tragedy strikes, our responders immediately do their work and their job and I can’t thank them enough,” he said.

Jarring photos capture extent of collapse

Monday 29 May 2023 15:00 , Megan Sheets

Residents say building was known to have issues: 'Our bathroom caved in December’

Monday 29 May 2023 14:50 , Megan Sheets

While it could be some time before the cause of the collapse becomes clear, locals living in the area told The Quad-City Times that the building was known to have problems in the past.

Jennifer Smith is co-owner of Fourth Street Nutrition, a business located in the building.

She said she learned of the explosion from her husband, who works for Mid-American Energy.

“He was on call and got called in for a building explosion downtown. We had no idea it was our building,” she told the newspaper.

“It sounds bad, but we have been calling the city and giving complaints since December. Our bathroom caved in December.”

Ms Smith said there had been visible water damage in their space, and she’d heard other dire warnings.

“The tenants told us the building was going to collapse,” she said.

Fire crews were in the building for an inspection as recently as Thursday, Ms Smith’s business partner Deonte Mack told The QCT.

Rich Oswald, City of Davenport director of development and neighbourhood services, said at a news conference on Sunday that work was being done on the building’s exterior at the time of the collapse.

The building’s owner, named by The QCT as one Andrew Wold, had a permit for the project and that bricks seen falling from the building last week were part of that work, Mr Oswald added.

The newspaper reported nearly 20 permits were filed in 2022 for building repairs, mainly for plumbing or electrical issues, according to the county assessor’s office.

Search continues for survivors of horror building collapse

Monday 29 May 2023 14:39 , Megan Sheets

Rescue crews are continuing to search the wreckage of a partially collapsed building in Davenport, Iowa, without knowing how many people could still be trapped.

A portion of a red brick apartment building on the city’s Main Street collapsed at around 5pm on Sunday.

Photos showed at least one fourth of the units destroyed, with the building’s facade ripped off and the interior exposed.

As of Monday morning, a total of eight people had been rescued from the wreckage and the number of people missing remains unclear. No deaths have been reported.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined but some locals have said the building was known to have problems.

Read more:

Desperate search for survivors after apartment building collapses in Iowa