City was warned building was tilting before Midtown collapse killed man

Yahoo

4 days ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just one day after a deadly building collapse in Midtown, FOX4 has confirmed that someone warned the city — just days before it came crashing down.
The collapse happened on Sunday at the . One man died, and three others were injured when the entrance of the building gave way.
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A 311 complaint filed Friday — two days before the collapse — stated the building was 'slowly tilting.' That complaint, publicly visible on the city's Compass KC portal, shows a resident sounding the alarm ahead of the disaster.
FOX4 tracked down the inspector assigned to the case. She told FOX4 she was unaware of the complaint — despite being listed as the one responsible for following up.
City officials say that's because the complaint came in on Friday, and under current procedures, it wouldn't have been seen until the next business day — which would have been Monday, the day after the collapse.
The city also added: '311 is a non-emergency information line. Reports of imminent danger should be made to 911.'
Councilmember Crispin Rea, who represents this Midtown district, is demanding answers.
'It's tragic. This is my district — I live just a few blocks from here,' Rea told FOX4.
He went on to say even if it's Christmas morning, the city has to be ready to respond to emergencies — when they happen.
Rea said city officials need to take a hard look at how emergency reports like this one are handled.
'We've got to diagnose this and I'm still receiving information about this – about what happened what I will say right now is we need to look at this top to bottom. We need to have a process in place for catching emergencies,' he said.
FOX4 also uncovered surveillance footage from 2016 showing a car crashing into the same Family Dollar building.
That crash knocked out a pillar near the entrance — and FOX4 has confirmed that pillar was never replaced.
At this time, investigators have not said whether the missing pillar played a role in Sunday's collapse.
'The property owner is going to have to face some level of accountability,' Rea added. 'And the city is going to have to make sure they follow through.'
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The Family Dollar remains closed, with the site cordoned off as the investigation continues. There is no timeline for when the store might reopen.
FOX4 will continue to follow this story and update you as soon as more information becomes available.
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