Philadelphia partial building collapse: 2 bodies recovered from rubble of demolished parking garage

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. 

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, which still have not been publicly identified, were taken away in an ambulance. Ironworkers who helped with the recovery effort were seen embracing after the bodies were located.

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. 

Philadelphia partial building collapse: Video shows Grays Ferry parking garage crumble

Doorbell camera footage captured the beginning of a seven-floor partial building collapse at a parking garage in Philadelphia, leaving one person dead, two injured, and two others missing.

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. 

What we don't know:

The identities of the victims have not been identified.