DAVENPORT, Iowa—Crews on Monday started demolishing the remains of a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, that partially collapsed more than two weeks ago, killing three people and leaving dozens homeless.
Workers were using large excavators to dismantle the 116-year-old brick, steel, and concrete structure in a process officials said would take several weeks. It’s a difficult task because the building is in the heart of the city’s downtown and is believed to contain asbestos and other potentially hazardous material.
A section of the building fell away May 28, burying three residents in rubble at the base of the structure and forcing others to scramble out of the building. One woman was pinned under the debris and had to have a leg amputated to be pulled to safety….