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MORRILTON, Ark. (KTHV) -- A part of Downtown Morrilton turns to rubble Monday after a building collapse kills a 2-year-old girl and injures at least four others.
It happened around lunchtime when many folks are often out walking around Downtown.
But by around 7 p.m. Monday, crews wrapped up their work for the day after authorities determined there was no one else trapped in the rubble.
They reopened Division Street in Downtown Morrilton but will be back Tuesday to check things out. Still, it's a big mess to clean up after a startling turn of events.
Even before this building collapse struck Downtown Morrilton, witnesses recall some troubling signs.
"Brandy was fixing to give the landlord a call because we started hearing things fall in the wall this morning," Damien Paladino said.
Paladino was doing some computer work at the Merle Norman store at the time. Falling bricks, screams and a mad dash outside came next.
"It stops and all we could see is just dust and I thought oh my God we're going to suffocate," Paladino said.
It was an overwhelming shot of dust hitting other witnesses too like Todd Session.
"It was rolling, maybe 7 to 8 feet tall and ten to 15 feet wide. I didn't even see the building or the ground," Session said.
Once things cleared, Downtown Morrilton shut down as crews sifted through the rubble looking victims all afternoon.
"We don't know if people were still walking down the sidewalk at the time of the collapse," Brandon Baker said.
Baker, with the Conway County Office of Emergency management, says the first 911 call came in at 12:20 p.m. Monday.
The collapse hit a building, more than 100 years old, housing the Merle Norman Store and the former "Bobbies Creations" wedding and photography shop.
"Information is still unclear if they were working in both or just one part. We just know in the building itself there was construction going on at the time of the collapse," Baker said.
It was a possible construction mishap, taking the life of two-year-old Alyssa Jones.
The toddler's father, Jimmy Jones says his daughter was in the building with her mother, Jones' ex-girlfriend, doing some cleaning work inside. Jones first saw her at the hospital.
"I got in there said my last goodbyes and walked out," Jones said.
It was a difficult day for Jones and and the Morrilton community.
We know of at least four other victims who were hospitalized from the collapse. Two were taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Morrilton. The other two victims were flown to Little Rock.
Alyssa's father says his ex-girlfriend and her sister were the two sent to UAMS in Little Rock. He told us earlier Monday that his ex-girlfriend was in stable condition.
Authorities also told us Monday night that there will be an OSHA inspection around the building collapse. And what happens after that is up to the property owner.
It happened around lunchtime when many folks are often out walking around Downtown.
But by around 7 p.m. Monday, crews wrapped up their work for the day after authorities determined there was no one else trapped in the rubble.
They reopened Division Street in Downtown Morrilton but will be back Tuesday to check things out. Still, it's a big mess to clean up after a startling turn of events.
Even before this building collapse struck Downtown Morrilton, witnesses recall some troubling signs.
"Brandy was fixing to give the landlord a call because we started hearing things fall in the wall this morning," Damien Paladino said.
Paladino was doing some computer work at the Merle Norman store at the time. Falling bricks, screams and a mad dash outside came next.
"It stops and all we could see is just dust and I thought oh my God we're going to suffocate," Paladino said.
It was an overwhelming shot of dust hitting other witnesses too like Todd Session.
"It was rolling, maybe 7 to 8 feet tall and ten to 15 feet wide. I didn't even see the building or the ground," Session said.
Once things cleared, Downtown Morrilton shut down as crews sifted through the rubble looking victims all afternoon.
"We don't know if people were still walking down the sidewalk at the time of the collapse," Brandon Baker said.
Baker, with the Conway County Office of Emergency management, says the first 911 call came in at 12:20 p.m. Monday.
The collapse hit a building, more than 100 years old, housing the Merle Norman Store and the former "Bobbies Creations" wedding and photography shop.
"Information is still unclear if they were working in both or just one part. We just know in the building itself there was construction going on at the time of the collapse," Baker said.
It was a possible construction mishap, taking the life of two-year-old Alyssa Jones.
The toddler's father, Jimmy Jones says his daughter was in the building with her mother, Jones' ex-girlfriend, doing some cleaning work inside. Jones first saw her at the hospital.
"I got in there said my last goodbyes and walked out," Jones said.
It was a difficult day for Jones and and the Morrilton community.
We know of at least four other victims who were hospitalized from the collapse. Two were taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Morrilton. The other two victims were flown to Little Rock.
Alyssa's father says his ex-girlfriend and her sister were the two sent to UAMS in Little Rock. He told us earlier Monday that his ex-girlfriend was in stable condition.
Authorities also told us Monday night that there will be an OSHA inspection around the building collapse. And what happens after that is up to the property owner.
