Missing man found dead in Iowa building collapse, two still missing.

Tragedy Strikes as Body of Missing Man Found in Collapsed Iowa Building

Heartbreaking news emerged from Davenport, Iowa, as the body of Branden Colvin Sr. was recovered from the rubble of a partially collapsed apartment building. Colvin, 42, is the first confirmed fatality in the collapse, with two other men still unaccounted for.

“We are doing the best we can to balance the building conditions and the safety of our responders,” Fire Chief Mike Carlsten told reporters during a briefing after the collapse.

The search for survivors has been completed, with authorities now focusing on shoring up the structure for recovery efforts. The remains of the six-story apartment building have been constantly shifting, posing a risk to rescuers who were trying to search for survivors.

Questions Raised Over Warning Signs

As work to bring down the building continues, questions have been raised over why neither the owner nor city officials warned residents about potential danger, even after a structural engineer’s report issued just days before the collapse indicated a wall of the century-old building was at imminent risk of crumbling.

Documents released by the city show that city officials and the building’s owner were warned for months that parts of the building were unstable. Tenants also complained to the city in recent years about a host of problems they say were ignored by property managers.

• No heat or hot water for weeks or even months at a time
• Mold and water leakage from ceilings and toilets

While city officials tried to address some complaints and gave vacate orders to individual apartments, a broader evacuation was never ordered, records show. Current and former residents reported interior cracks on the wall that ultimately collapsed that were reported to building management.

Andrew Wold, the building’s owner, released a statement dated May 30 saying “our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants.” He has made no statement since then, and efforts to reach him, his company, and a man believed to be his attorney have been unsuccessful.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.