Two people died and 17 others were injured after a three-story mixed-use building collapsed in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon next to an active excavation site.
Emergency crews spent hours combing through an unstable pile of twisted wood and bricks on the edge of a vacant lot. The collapse brought down residential apartments sitting above ground-floor commercial spaces. A large part of the wreckage ended up in a massive heap inside the construction pit. An adjacent building lost its shared wall, exposing bedroom interiors and clothing-filled closets to the street.
Approximately 250 firefighters responded to the scene. Rescuers used pickaxes, electric saws, and K-9 units while a drone hovered overhead to locate survivors. At nightfall, firefighters used flashlights to illuminate the working area.
“The situation proved extremely difficult and evolved very rapidly, with unstable debris to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a press briefing alongside FDNY Fire Chief John Esposito. He added that the New York City Fire Department trains precisely for this type of rescue.
Seventeen patients were hospitalized for injuries, including four in critical condition. One firefighter sustained minor injuries, according to fire officials. Seven of the affected victims were children, according to emergency officials, though authorities did not specify whether any children were among the dead.
Rescuers extracted additional survivors throughout the evening hours. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was photographed comforting a man after his pregnant partner was rescued from the rubble.
Municipal officials routed inquiries regarding the project to those listed parties. New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said that workers were performing excavation work at the neighboring vacant lot at the time of the collapse.
Anderson Velez, a resident of the collapsed building, told the New York Post that his wife called him right as the structure failed to report she and their two children, aged seven and two, were trapped inside. He later learned emergency personnel successfully rescued his family.
Department officials confirmed search and recovery operations would continue through the night, while uncertainty remained regarding whether anyone else might still be trapped.
Earlier coverage: Flatbush Building Collapse Kills 1, Injures 12 in Brooklyn
