Brooklyn Building Collapse Kills at Least Two and Injures 17 as Rescue Search Continues

A three-story apartment building in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood collapsed into an adjacent construction site on Wednesday afternoon. At least two people were killed and 17 others were injured, city officials said, and rescue crews worked through the night searching the rubble for anyone still trapped.

The building, on Flatbush Avenue near Newkirk Avenue, fell at about 4 p.m. ET, according to the New York City Fire Department. More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical workers reached the scene within a minute and began pulling people from the debris.

Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said officials had found 19 victims in total, including the two people who died and one firefighter who suffered minor injuries. Four people were in critical condition and 12 were in stable condition. Seven children were among the victims, though officials did not give their ages or conditions.

Search could last for days

Crews used search dogs, drones and hand tools to work through the rubble, and officials said the search could continue for several days. “We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone,” Bonsignore said. “We expect that there could be more people as this operation progresses.”

At least four survivors were pulled from the wreckage about two to two and a half hours after the collapse, local station WABC-TV reported, including a pregnant woman. Fire Department Chief John Esposito said a fire company returning from another call reached the scene in less than a minute.

Esposito said the wreckage was unstable and warned of a possible second collapse from the part of the building that remained standing. “It’s a very unstable situation,” he said at a news conference. “We’ve taken measures to keep an eye on that and try to ensure that there is no further collapse.”

Cause under investigation

The building, built in 1930, held four apartments above a ground-floor store, according to Reuters and CNN. It fell into a lot next door where excavation work was underway for a new building, Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said. The cause remains under investigation by the Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies.

CNN reported that city records show a demolition contractor at the neighboring site was issued a violation in April for continuing demolition work after the Department of Buildings ordered it to stop. The violation was resolved in October, and the contractor paid $10,000 in penalties, according to the records.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited the scene and said the city would investigate. Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the state would offer full support to the investigation. The American Red Cross and New York City Emergency Management set up a help center for displaced residents at the Flatbush YMCA, and Flatbush Avenue remained closed between Clarendon Road and Bedford Avenue.

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today, CNN and Reuters.