2023 building collapse in Davenport, Iowa
On May 28, 2023, at approximately 5:00 p.m. CDT, The Davenport, a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, partially collapsed. The collapse destroyed a significant section of the building's rear and killed three people.
Background.
The Davenport was a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa built in 1907. It was acquired by the Davenport Hotel LLC in a 2021 deal worth about $4.2 million. It was badly damaged during the August 2020 Midwest derecho.
Compared to the front of the building on Main Street, its rear face, next to a parking lot, had a dilapidated appearance. Days before the collapse, a structural engineer noted that the rear's brick façade was deformed. Repair work started on May 25, but according to the "Quad-City Times", part of the building was still "bulging out" by May 27.
Collapse.
At the time of the collapse there were 53 residents registered as living in the 80-unit building. Surveillance footage obtained by CNN shows a chunk of the rear's brick façade falling underneath a second story window. The lower portion of the wall proceeded to crumble, followed by more façade falling. In the final minute before the collapse, a support brace bends before part of the building collapsed at approximately 5:00 p.m. CDT.
One resident remembers hearing booming sounds but had figured they were coming from the street outside, until neighbors started screaming. She picked up her toddler and ran, but soon found that at least one staircase was blocked by debris.
Rescue and relief operations.
Eight people were rescued and about a dozen others were escorted out of the building, with additional search and rescue delayed until water and gas utilities could be shut off. On May 29, the city initially stated that there was no credible information that anyone was missing and that they would move forward with demolition plans the next day. However, after search effort involving over 150 people that used thermal imaging, drones and search and rescue dogs, a missing resident was discovered alive and rescued from her fourth-story window. Two tenants were still unaccounted for. During that same search, nine animals; six cats, two snakes, and one lizard, were rescued from the building, with it being announced that no other missing pets were still reported as being inside the stable areas of the building.
Victims.
Three people died, aged between 42 and 60 years-old. On June 3, the body of one of the missing tenants was recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building. On June 5, the remains of two other victims were recovered.
At least one resident was severely injured in the collapse, with one of her legs having to be amputated in order for her to be safely extracted from the rubble.
Legal.
On May 30, the city of Davenport had filed a new enforcement action against the owner of the building, as he had failed to maintain the building in a "safe, sanitary, and structurally sound condition" with a $300 fine. The legal purpose of the citation was to prevent the owner from transferring the property to avoid a demolition order.
Shortly after the collapse, a tenant filed a lawsuit which accused the city of Davenport, the building's current and former owners, along with two other companies, of knowing of the deterioration of the building and allowing it to continue without notifying tenants of the risks.
Demolition.
On June 6, 2023, demolition was planned to start on the partially collapsed building. City officials initially reported that demolition would start two days after the collapse, but there were numerous delays due to protesters pushing for the search of missing individuals. There were also health concerns due to possible asbestos and other hazardous materials located inside the building, which prompted the city to order individuals living nearby to evacuate. Demolition began on June 12, 2023.
References.
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