Rescue Ends at Brooklyn Collapse Site as Criminal Inquiry Opens and City Checks 100 Linked Buildings
Fire officials said Thursday afternoon that no more victims remained in the rubble of the Flatbush building that fell Wednesday, killing eight people. Prosecutors and building inspectors have opened a joint inquiry, and the city has begun checking about 100 other sites tied to the same developers.
The search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed Brooklyn apartment building ended Thursday afternoon, and the focus turned to the investigation.
The Fire Department said at 3:37 p.m. Thursday that rescue work had ended, with no more victims in the rubble. The three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue fell into an excavation lot next door around 4 p.m. Wednesday, killing eight people and injuring 18. Two of those killed were construction workers. One injured person remained in critical condition Thursday, most of the others stable, the mayor said.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the Department of Buildings and police are jointly investigating whether criminal negligence or building code violations played a part. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said the city had begun “an extensive, whole-of-government investigation.”
What investigators are examining
Workers were digging at the lot next door when it fell. A March inspection found the building’s north facade in “poor condition with noticeable cracks,” according to the New York Times. The department issued a stop-work order in March after finding inadequate protection for nearby buildings. The developers kept demolishing and were fined $10,000, CNN reported, and the order was lifted in May.
Mamdani said five entities tied to the site are linked to about 100 other sites across the city, and inspectors began checking them Thursday. “If there is anyone or any entity operating in this city that bears responsibility for what happened, we will hold them fully accountable,” Mamdani said.
City records show 98 housing violations at the address since 1972. One victim has been publicly named: José Luis Caguana, 26, who leaves a pregnant wife and a 4-year-old son, according to Realtor.com. A woman six months pregnant was pulled from the rubble alive on Wednesday night.
Reporting based on coverage by 6sqft and Realtor.com.
