[ad_1]
Davenport, Iowa (AP) — Body of one of three men missing in partially destroyed apartment building A body was found in Davenport, Iowa, city officials confirmed Sunday.
The body of Branden Colvin Sr. was recovered on Saturday, city spokeswoman Sarah Ott said. Two other men, Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, are still missing. Colvin, 42, was the first person confirmed dead in the collapse.
No other details were immediately announced. Prien’s daughter, Nancy Prien Frezza, told the Associated Press that she had not received any updates regarding the search for her father.
Quad City Times Colvin’s son Branden Colvin Jr. graduated from high school on Saturday, it reported. He and the rest of his family were almost always at the crash site hoping for a miracle.
Colvin’s body was found the day after authorities said the search for survivors was complete.attention is focused on strengthening structures so that recovery efforts can begin.
The wreckage of the six-story apartment building was in constant motion during the first 24 to 36 hours after it collapsed on May 28, officials said, posing a danger to rescue teams searching for survivors. said.
City officials earlier said Colvin, Hitchcock and Prien were “most likely at home when the building collapsed.”
Authorities said searching the building was extremely dangerous, as it was in constant flux and at risk of further collapse, putting rescuers in great danger. The Iowa task force completed the search for survivors on Thursday and began to focus on ramping up recovery efforts.
“We are doing our best to balance the situation of the building with the safety of rescuers,” Fire Chief Mike Carsten told reporters after the collapse. He said the situation forced a response that could take “days or weeks” rather than ideally minutes or hours.
Mayor Mike Matson said the pile of rubble “could be a sanctuary for some of the missing.”
A structural engineer’s report, released days before the collapse, showed the walls of the 100-year-old building were in imminent danger. The demolition of the building proceeded amid questions about whether residents had been warned of the potential danger. crumbling.
City officials and the building’s owner had been warned for months that parts of the building were unstable, according to documents released by the city.
Tenants have also filed complaints with the city in recent years about a number of issues that property managers allegedly ignored. These included no heating or hot water for weeks or even months at a time, as well as mold and water leaks from ceilings and toilets. City officials attempted to address some complaints and issued eviction orders to individual apartments, but no broad evacuation orders were issued, according to records.
Current and former residents told The Associated Press that the walls cracked and eventually collapsed and were reported to building management.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the tenants,” said building owner Andrew Wald in a statement dated May 30. He has not issued a statement since, and attempts to contact him, his company, and the man who is believed to be his lawyer have been unsuccessful.
Davenport Hotels LLC acquired the building in 2021 with a contract valued at $4.2 million, according to county records.
[ad_2]
Source link
