Keokuk, IA – The clean-up continues after a building collapse in downtown Keokuk early Friday morning.
Keokuk Police Chief Tom Crew says several 911 calls came in just before 8:00 A.M. to report that a building at 6th & Main Streets had collapsed. The three-story building is known to many as the Green Tambourine Music Store.
Crew says there have been no reports of injuries in relation to the collapse. He says the owners of the building and someone who frequents the property have been contacted to make sure they were not inside the structure.
Crew says the building basically imploded. There was not a lot of debris on either 6th Street or Main Street.
Crews started taking down the back wall of the building during the noon hour. It was the only part of the structure to survive the initial collapse.
The condition of the building has been a topic of discussion among city leaders for many years. Barricades had been set up on its west side to limit walking traffic because of concerns about the sidewalk.
Crew says some business owners said it sounded like an earthquake when the building came down. He says others heard nothing but saw the plume of dust.
No vehicles were parked near the property at the time.
Crew says it is unclear when an investigation can begin as to what caused the building to come down. The property has been secured with a construction fence in an attempt to keep onlookers away.