CNN
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A six-story apartment building that partially collapsed Sunday in Davenport, Iowa, is at risk of caving in completely and is expected to be demolished Tuesday, displacing all of its residents as some are still unaccounted for, officials said.
Eight people were rescued from the crumpling structure, and more than a dozen others were assisted in evacuating the site, city officials said Monday.
No deaths have been reported in the Sunday afternoon collapse and officials have determined that there are no longer victims in need of rescue, the city said in a release.
As rescue operations were underway, a structural engineer hired by the city helped determine “that the building had sustained substantial damage, severely compromising the integrity of the building,” the city said in a Monday night update.
“At this time, the building remains in imminent danger of collapse with the condition on site continuing to worsen,” the release said, noting that the current pile of rubble may be preventing the building from collapsing altogether.
“The necessity to demolish this building stems specifically from our desire to maintain as much safety for the surrounding areas as possible,” said Rich Oswald, Director of Development and Neighborhood Services.
The damage occurred when the back section of the apartment building, known as The Davenport, detached from the rest of the structure, Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten said.
The collapse triggered a large natural gas and water leak that required emergency crews to halt their search and rescue efforts until the utilities could be secured, Carlsten said Monday.
The cause of the collapse has not been determined, officials said. The building’s owners had current permits for repairs to the exterior wall, said Oswald.
Residents will not be allowed back into the building due to safety concerns, officials said.
Some residents say the devastating damage has destroyed entire rooms of their cherished possessions and left them with no place to live.
Army veteran Fred Voorhis told CNN affiliate KGAN that he has lost every piece of memorabilia from his 21-year military service, along with several essential medications.
Voorhis said he was sleeping when the collapse occurred.
“I opened up the door to my apartment and there was daylight. It was supposed to be a hallway,” Voorhis told the affiliate. With his home ruined, he said he has no idea where he will live.
“There’s no backup plan,” he said.
Though officials have said the are no signs of additional victims in need of rescue, the Davenport Police Department has yet to account for all known residents of the building, the city said.
The police department is attempting to make contact with all unaccounted-for residents, which includes reaching out to their families, the release said. It is unclear how many are still not accounted for.
Paul Stephenson, who was visiting a friend who lived in the building at the time of the collapse, told CNN affiliate KWQC that he was able to help his friend escape the building, but hasn’t seen him since emergency crews escorted residents away Sunday night.
Stephenson described the moment of collapse as “like a bomb” resonating throughout the building.
“It was so dark in there. I just knew my way around,” he said, describing how he helped guide his friend from the rubble. Stephenson had to leave his phone behind in the chaos.
“I’m still looking for my friend,” he said. “But I know he’s safe because I got him out.”
He said he knows others, however, who are nervously awaiting word from their loved ones.
Davenport Mayor Mike Matson acknowledged that the catastrophe is “devastating to the residents of this building and also to our community.”
“My prayers are with the families of those who remain unaccounted for and for a swift recovery for those who were injured,” Matson said.