3 men killed in Iowa building collapse were crushed, asphyxiated; deaths ruled accidental

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Iowa's health agency has determined that the deaths of three men crushed in the collapse of a downtown Davenport building were accidental.

The finding released Monday by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services declared the deaths of 42-year-old Branden Colvin Sr., 51-year-old Ryan Hitchcock and 60-year-old Daniel Prien as accidental. All had suffered multiple crush injuries and "mechanical asphyxiation," a term used to indicate that an object or body position prevented a person from breathing.

3 IOWA APARTMENT BUILDING RESIDENTS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR DAYS AFTER COLLAPSE, OFFICIALS SAY

The partial collapse of the century-old, six-story brick building on May 28 near Davenport’s riverside also injured several people and displaced dozens of people. An investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the deadly collapse.

The site of an apartment building collapse that left three men dead is seen in Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Questions remain about why residents were allowed to stay in the building, despite many warnings that the building was unstable. Those warnings were issued by structural engineers, masons, city inspectors and tenants over several months, according to city documents.

RESCUE EFFORTS IN IOWA APARTMENT COLLAPSE END, RECOVERY PREP UNDERWAY

Several lawsuits have been filed accusing the city and building owner Andrew Wold, among others, of neglecting residents’ safety.

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Wold pleaded guilty in June to a civil infraction asserting that he didn’t maintain safe conditions at the building, for which he faced $395 in fines and court fees.