Philadelphia partial building collapse: 2 bodies recovered from rubble of demolished parking garage
Philly parking garage collapse: 2 missing iron workers found dead after 5 days
Crews recovered the bodies of two missing iron workers Monday, five days after a partially built parking garage in Grays Ferry collapsed, according to city officials. City flags are flying at half-staff to honor the three workers killed, and Mayor Cherelle Parker has ordered an independent investigation into the collapse.
PHILADELPHIA - The bodies of two workers who perished when a stair tower of a Philadelphia parking garage collapsed last week were pulled from the demolished remains of the former seven-story building.
What we know:
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Fire Commissioner Jeffery Thompson held an early Monday morning press conference where they announced the bodies of two ironworkers who died in the collapse were recovered.
Thompson explained that once the parking garage was demolished and the large chunks of debris were removed, technical rescue crews dug through the rubble to reach the two bodies.
The bodies were taken away in an ambulance. Ironworkers who helped with the recovery effort were seen embracing after the bodies were located.
Family members identified one of the fallen ironworkers as 51-year-old Matthew Kane, a father of two. Family members say he "truly loved his job."
What they're saying:
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker spoke Monday morning at a press conference following the recovery of the bodies.
Philadelphia partial building collapse: Ironworker pulled from rubble identified by family
Family members identified one of the fallen ironworkers as 51-year-old Matthew Kane, a father of two. Family members say he "truly loved his job."
"To the men and women of Local 401 and to every member of the Philadelphia Building Trades, let me say this: Philadelphia feels your pain, Philadelphia prays for you, and your city stands with you," Parker said.
She ordered flags in Philadelphia to fly at half-staff until sunset Friday.
"This has been a heartbreaking tragedy for our city, especially for the families of the workers we lost," said Mayor Parker.
The mayor also said, "We want God to bless the three souls and everyone that’s been impacted by this tragedy."
Local perspective:
Jamil Soloman of Delaware said, "You got senior citizens around here that depend on the fresh grocer so if they are depending on this food market to be here they can’t get to it."
Barriers around the 30th and Grays Ferry collapse site are starting to come down, but many streets and businesses in the area will remain closed for now.
This includes the shopping center with a post office and the only grocery store in the neighborhood.
The closure of local businesses and streets continues to impact residents, especially those who rely on the area’s only grocery store.
The backstory:
First responders were called to 30th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue around 2 p.m. Wednesday for reports of a structure collapse.
One person was pulled from the rubble and taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where they were pronounced dead, officials say.
Two more people injured in the collapse were taken to the hospital for treatment.
2 bodies recovered in Grays Ferry parking garage collapse
The bodies of two workers who perished when a stair tower of a Philadelphia parking garage collapsed last week were pulled from the demolished remains of the former seven-story building.
The site of the collapse remained unsafe to search which slowed the recovery efforts for the two ironworkers who were presumed dead.
The seven-story parking garage, which was still under construction for CHOP, was demolished over the weekend, which allowed the recovery effort to resume.
Dig deeper:
The collapse happened when the subcontractor, Precast Services Incorporated, was installing concrete floor decking and roof segments when a roof segment failed, causing a progressive collapse.
Doorbell camera footage from a house about a block away from the parking garage captured the sudden start of the collapse, each floor crashing onto the one below it.
Eight permits were properly issued, all inspections were up-to-date, and the general contractor is HSC Builders and Construction. The parking garage was a seven-story structure under construction for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.