Collapse of U.S. building leads to infuriation of residents: NYT

NEW YORK, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The partial collapse of a six-story building in Davenport, U.S. state of Iowa, over the weekend and the handling of its aftermath infuriated residents who questioned whether more could have been done to prevent the collapse and who said the city moved far too hastily to declare the rescue operation complete, reported The New York Times (NYT) earlier this week.

"Dozens gathered outside the building on Tuesday, some carrying signs with messages like 'Save Lives Not Property.' At least five people with ties to the building remained unaccounted for on Tuesday, officials said, including at least two who were believed to have been inside. No deaths had been confirmed," said the report.

Like in New York City, where the collapse of a parking garage with unresolved safety violations killed one person earlier this year, and in Surfside, Florida, where the 2021 collapse of a condo building killed 98 people, there had been warnings about problems at 324 Main Street in Davenport, a city of 100,000 residents, it noted.

In January, Davenport officials said, a complaint about the building led to brick work, though the structure, home to dozens of units and residents, was deemed structurally sound by an outside engineer. Months later, they said, another report led to permits being issued for repairs, which were underway at the time of the collapse, according to the report.

With demolition plans on hold, the next steps remained uncertain. Structural engineers and rescue crews said the building was perilously unsteady, doomed to fall on its own at some point, and that even making another sweep would be perilous, it added.