Brooklyn building collapse kills at least 2 and injures 17; others possibly missing
A three-story residential building collapsed into a construction site in Brooklyn, killing at least two people and injuring 17 others, according to New York City officials. Firefighters are searching the rubble for anyone who may still be trapped.
The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) received a 911 call at 4:01 p.m. Wednesday reporting the collapse at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a briefing. Crews arrived within a minute and began rescuing people.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said four of the injured are in critical condition, 12 are stable and one firefighter sustained minor injuries. Seven of the 19 people killed or injured were children.
FDNY Chief John Esposito said the building collapsed completely into the excavation next door, leaving an adjoining building partially intact.
A fire company returning from another emergency came across the scene and rescued people trapped in the adjoining building. People from both the collapsed building and the construction site were trapped.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded. Fire and police dogs are searching the rubble for places where people could be trapped.
Esposito said crews expect to spend several days at the site, removing debris and checking beneath it for victims.
“Our main concern is a secondary collapse,” Esposito said. Crews are monitoring the adjoining building for signs of further movement.
Construction workers were excavating next door when the building came down. Plans for a nine-story building at the site have not been approved.
The Red Cross opened a reception center for displaced residents at the Flatbush YMCA, 1401 Flatbush Avenue. Flatbush Avenue is closed between Clarendon and Bedford avenues, and officials asked people to avoid the area so emergency crews could reach the scene.
Officials do not know how many occupants of the collapsed building are unaccounted for. The city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies will investigate what caused the collapse.
