At least two people died and more than a dozen others were injured, including seven children, after a three-story building collapsed in New York City on Wednesday, officials said.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said 19 people were treated after the collapse. Two died, four remained in critical condition and 12 were listed as stable. A firefighter sustained minor injuries while responding to the disaster.
The building came down in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood as emergency crews continued combing through the debris for possible survivors. Authorities had not determined how many people might still be trapped or what caused the structure to fail.
Mamdani said the FDNY received a 911 call about the collapse at 1321 Flatbush Avenue at 4:01 p.m. Firefighters arrived about a minute later and immediately began search-and-rescue efforts.
Firefighters sift through the debris for survivors after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York. (NNYW)
“I am heartbroken to share that at this time, at least two New Yorkers have passed away,” Mamdani said at an evening news conference.
The FDNY had earlier confirmed to News Outlet that an unidentified person died when the building suddenly collapsed in Flatbush.
Officials did not release the children’s ages or say whether either of the two people who died was a minor.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene.
First responders work at the site of a building collapse in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito cautioned that the site remained at risk of further collapse, describing the rescue effort as an “extremely dangerous operation for all of our people.”
“It’s a very unstable situation,” Esposito said. “The adjoining building that remains partially intact is always a danger. Our main concern is the secondary collapse.”
Officials said search operations could continue for several days as crews looked for anyone who might be buried in the rubble. Firefighters and police officers were using K-9 teams to help locate possible victims.
Bonsignore underscored the hazards facing responders as they moved carefully through the unstable debris.
“Every move is choreographed and critically important to patient outcomes and member safety,” she said.
The collapsed building fell into a neighboring property that was being used as an active construction site, officials said.
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Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings, said excavation work was underway at the adjacent site when the collapse happened.
The construction location had approved plans for a three-story building, while an application for a nine-story structure was still awaiting approval, Tigani said.
The NYPD warned that the emergency response would bring traffic disruptions and street closures throughout the area.
Inspectors from the Department of Buildings were at the scene “assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings,” the agency said.
FDNY personnel continue working during a major technical rescue operation in Brooklyn. (FDNY)
“We’re closely monitoring the building collapse on Bedford Avenue in Flatbush,” New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams wrote on X. “We’re praying for the safety of anyone who may be trapped and for the first responders working to reach them. Our thoughts are with everyone affected and their loved ones.”
Mamdani urged residents to stay away from the area while rescue operations continued.
“First responders are on the scene of a building collapse on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, where they are working quickly to secure the location and assist New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote in a social media post.
FDNY personnel responded after a building collapsed in Brooklyn. (FDNY)
“Flatbush Avenue is closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue — please avoid the area so rescue crews can work. We will be sharing what we learn as soon as we can confirm it,” he added. “As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul said on X that her office “has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”
FDNY crews respond to the scene of a building collapse. (Peter Gerber for News Outlet)
“I’m keeping them in my thoughts and praying for everyone affected,” Hochul wrote. “My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”
The city’s Emergency Management office opened a reception center for residents affected by the collapse, with the Red Cross operating nearby.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
