By Brendan O’Brien
(Reuters) – The body of a man killed when an apartment building partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, was recovered from the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll to three, the city’s police chief said.
Crews found the body of Daniel Prien, 60, eight days after the center portion of the apartment building where he lived collapsed, Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel said during a news conference.
Over the weekend, the bodies of Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Branden Colvin Sr., 42, were also found in the ruins, Bladel said, adding that authorities believe they have now accounted for all those reported missing in the aftermath of the incident.
A portion of the six-story brick-and-steel building collapsed on May 28. The building, more than 100 years old, contained 84 apartments and businesses. At least nine people were rescued from the site in the hours and days after the collapse.
The instability of the remaining structure created treacherous conditions for rescuers, which slowed the response, according to officials.
Officials in the Mississippi River city of 100,000 people have said that the building was inspected several times in recent years, both for complaints and routine inspections. They continue to investigate what caused the collapse.
Protesters have gathered near the site, demanding answers about the building and why the city and owner did not do more to prevent the incident.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago)
