Building partially collapses in US city with residents inside

Building partially collapses in US city with residents inside

More than a dozen residents were inside a building in the US city of Davenport when it partially collapsed, with a search and rescue operation currently underway, according to authorities.

The incident took place on Sunday night in the building located in the city’s downtown district, reports the Iowa-based local KGAN tv station, affiliated to CBS and Fox News.

According to the City of Davenport it happened Sunday afternoon just before 5 p.m. when a structure at 324 Main Street crumbled, triggering a frantic response from emergency teams. Davenport Fire and Police Departments raced to the scene to find those trapped beneath the rubble.

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Alongside them, Davenport Public Works joined the operation, working to secure the area and address potential hazards.

The public is urged to avoid the downtown vicinity. Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church has been designated as a reunification point for affected families anxiously awaiting news. 

The authorities said that initially seven people were rescued by the first responders, while a dozen others made it out of the building on their own.

Some people however, remain unaccounted for, the authorities added.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, only of some people sustaining minor injuries.

The cause of the collapse is under probe.

The red-brick building across from the Davenport Public Library, has around 80 apartment units and was built in 1906, according to The Quad-City Times.

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Davenport, with a population of 474,019 people, is the third largest city of Iowa. It is about 267 km away from state capital Des Moines.