5 People Remain Unaccounted for After Iowa Apartment Building Collapse

Officials were able to rescue a number of animals on Tuesday but said that crews "continued to search for human activity and none was detected"

Five people remain unaccounted for after an apartment building in Iowa unexpectedly collapsed on Sunday afternoon.

Two people rare thought to be inside the partially collapsed building, while the whereabouts of three others are unclear, according to The New York Times. So far there have been no reported fatalities.

Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten said during a Tuesday press conference that seven people were rescued within the first hour of the collapse and 12 were escorted out of the building. Additionally, more than 150 first responders, medical and city staff rushed to the scene within that time.

Officials were able to rescue a number of animals, who were taken to the local Humane Society on Tuesdau, but said that crews "continued to search for human activity and none was detected," per the Associated Press.

On Monday, a 52-year-old woman, Lisa Brooks, was rescued more than 24 hours after the collapse. She avoided injury by hiding under a couch on an upper floor of the structure, according to NBC News. 

Related: Iowa Woman, 52, Rescued from Partially Collapsed Apartment Building Hours Before Demolition

Although city officials have deemed the building in imminent danger of further collapse, plans to demolish the remaining structure to secure the area’s safety have been met with protests, as some argue that the city should stop their demolition plans amid the search for survivors.

Speaking out at a press conference on Tuesday, the family of Ryan Hitchcock, who remains missing, argued that "pushing any delays is one more day he's under there, going through all this."

"Ryan wouldn’t want anyone else to put their lives at risk, too," added cousin Amy Anderson, who said it's likely he "has not survived."

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Anderson said city officials promised to be sensitive about the remains under the rubble.

“We do not want a full-on demolition or a full-on delay for that building to collapse more and put more rubble on top of them,” she said. “I plead with our community just to let the city do their job. It’s an absolute no-win situation. This is the best plan of attack.”

Related: Apartment Building Partially Collapses in Davenport, Iowa; Rescue Operations Remain Underway

Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, Davenport Police Chief Jeff Bladel called what happened a “tragedy” and asked the community to continue to rally around the families of those impacted by the collapse.

An investigation into the cause of the collapse, which remains unknown, is underway.

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