Two may still be inside partially collapsed Davenport apartment, officials say

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KCRG/KWQC) - Five people are still unaccounted for, with two of them believed to potentially still be in the partially collapsed building, Davenport city officials said during a press conference Tuesday morning.

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said officials have spoken with the families of the people who are unaccounted for, and have heard their concerns.

Matson also addressed the woman that was saved Monday after waiving out a third-floor apartment window. Matson said they don’t know how she got there and why she wasn’t found earlier, but they intend to find out.

Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel asked the community to rally around the families of those involved.

“This is a tragedy,” Bladel said. “This is a horrific event that our community has never experienced before.”

Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said they have searched throughout the building and the debris pile multiple times, including the use of K9s, drones, infrared and thermal imaging.

Officials asked the community for patience as crews continue to weigh the danger in continued searching of the building and the debris pile.

A structural engineer said at this point the debris pile is helping to hold the building up, so crews need to proceed with caution as it’s likely to come down on its own.

WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE:

After the woman was found in the building on Monday, crowds of people could be seen outside the building, visibly upset and protesting, voicing concerns that there may still be others inside.

Davenport Strategy Officer Sarah Ott released the following statement just after 6 a.m. Tuesday:

“In the interest of public safety, the City has been continually evaluating the timing of the demolition of 324 Main Street since its initial collapse 36 hours ago. Demolition is a multi-phase process that includes permitting and staging of equipment that will begin today. The timing of the physical demolition of the property is still being evaluated. The building remains structurally insecure and in imminent danger of collapse.”

Then, at 4:30 pm Tuesday, the City of Davenport posted the following message on their Facebook page:

“As discussed at this morning’s press conference, earlier this afternoon the Davenport Fire Department in partnership with MABAS 43 Technical Rescue Team conducted an additional operation within portions of the 324 Main St. building that presented as acceptable risk for emergency response entry in the opinion of the structural engineer and rescue technicians.

During this operation, several animals were rescued and delivered to the Scott County Humane Society. Crews continued to search for human activity and none was detected.

The stability of the building continues to degrade. The recovery of any unaccounted for individuals remains the priority of the City as operational planning progresses.”

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