Apartment building collapses in downtown Davenport, “some” unaccounted for

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Davenport’s mayor said “some” people are unaccounted for after an apartment building collapse Sunday but the exact number of people injured or missing is unknown.

City officials said fire and police responded around 4:55 p.m. Sunday to 324 Main Street. Firefighters rescued 7 people and escorted another 12 from the building in their initial response. Medics set-up an on-site triage area but officials did not disclose the number of people treated for injuries on the scene.

The mayor said rescue operations are continuing and a specialized unit to search the rubble for survivors has been requested but declined to give an exact or estimated number of casualties.

“Our focus ins rescue right now,” Davenport Mayor Mike Matson told reporters during a Sunday evening news conference.

The fire chief said the stability of the building is a big concern for rescuers and said there were secondary collapses as crews were working the site.

The city said the owner had taken out a permit for repair work to the exterior of the building and that work was underway at the time of the collapse. The city said reports of bricks falling from the building earlier this week were part of that work. The cause of the collapse is not clear at this point.

City officials are asking the public to avoid the downtown area.

Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church, 417 N. Main St., is serving as a reunification point.

Officials have not yet said if anyone was hurt.

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