Month: May 2023

Eight people rescued after large apartment building collapses News Briefing

Eight people rescued after large apartment building collapses

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Eight people were rescued by first responders after a large apartment building partially collapsed in Iowa.

Search and rescue teams in Davenport, Iowa continue to search the ruins of a large, historic apartment building that collapsed on Sunday.

‘A portion of the rear building actually collapsed and separated from the building,’ Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said at a press conference on Sunday.

‘Crews also found a large natural gas leak, and water leaking from all floors of the structure,’ the fire chief added.

The collapsed building once housed the historic Davenport Hotel (Picture: AP)

Seven people were pulled from the rubble after search and rescue crews immediately arrived at the scene, Carlsten said. They were also able to escort another 12 people who were self-evacuating from the building.

‘This is going to be a long and lengthy process,’ Carlsten said.

The fire chief said the apartment building’s deteriorating status has hampered some search and rescue efforts.

‘The building is structurally unsound, is posing a risk to responders,’ Carsten said, adding that search and rescue teams reported ‘secondary drops of debris’ coming from the structure.

Search and rescue crews monitor the scene in Davenport (Picture: AP)

A firefighter is seen searching a destroyed apartment (Picture: AP)

On Monday morning, Carlsten said that an eighth person was rescued by crews overnight. The victim was hospitalized immediately after rescue.

Officials said they were unsure there were any remaining residents inside the building.

‘This is an active scene, we will continue to work, continue to evaluate, and with the whole purpose of trying to find people and trying to get them out,’ Davenport Mayor Mike Matsen said on Sunday. He also added that some of the residents did not own cell phones or have a second way of communication.

The building contained 84 units of apartments and commercial spaces (Picture: AP)

An eighth person was pulled out of the rubble overnight as crews continued to work the scene (Picture: AP)

The building, situated just two blocks from the Mississippi River waterfront, had been listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

It was built in 1907 and once housed the Davenport Hotel. It has since been converted to a mixed-use complex, housing 84 units of apartments and commercial space.

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