At least two people were killed and 17 others injured, including seven children, after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, leaving several people trapped beneath the debris.
The three-story residential building gave way at about 4pm Wednesday at an open construction site on Bedford Avenue in Flatbush.
Workers at the site were among those trapped when the structure suddenly collapsed, according to the FDNY.
At least two victims were pronounced dead, while about 10 others were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from critical to non-life-threatening, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a news conference.
“This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation,” Mamdani said, describing the collapse as “devastating.” “Two hundred and fifty firefighters and EMS personnel responded and have worked tirelessly to secure the scene and rescue those who were trapped.”
Officials said at least 17 people were injured, including seven children and one firefighter.
“This was a major technical response… multiple people from the building and the construction site were trapped,” the FDNY said. “First responders encountered dangerous and perilous conditions. They have been working methodically and have not stopped since arriving this afternoon.”
The final number of injured remained unclear, and the cause of the collapse was still under investigation, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said.
One person remained trapped beneath the debris but was able to communicate with first responders. The victim was brought out on a stretcher at about 4.45pm.
Two more people were pulled from the rubble shortly after 6.30pm, NBC 4 reported.
Video from the scene showed firefighters carrying victims from the wreckage and placing them on stretchers. Other images showed clothing hanging inside rooms exposed by the collapse.
The building began collapsing at about 4pm Wednesday on Bedford Avenue in Flatbush
Victims were rescued from the rubble and taken away on stretchers
An NYPD spokesperson told Our News Outlet that five people had been removed from the rubble and taken to Kings County Hospital
Firefighters dug through the wreckage by hand while rescue teams used dogs to search for survivors.
The building contained apartments above a ground-floor business. Officials urged the public to stay away from the area, warning of street closures and traffic delays.
Inspectors from the New York City Department of Buildings were at the scene “assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings.”
MORE ON THIS: Anthony Clark, Comedian Who Starred on Yes, Dear, Dies at 62
The collapsed building stood along the edge of a lot where a separate one-story structure had been demolished for a construction project, the Associated Press reported.
Excavation work had been underway before the incident. According to the report, the building’s collapse sent wood and bricks into the construction site.
A neighboring building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, although sections of its walls were ripped away. The damage exposed rooms inside, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.
Anderson Velez, who lived in the collapsed building, told the New York Post that he was at work when his wife called to say their two children, aged 7 and 2, were trapped beneath the rubble.
“She called me when the building collapsed while she was inside with rubble on top of her. She was screaming for someone to help get my son out, and then the call cut off,” he told the newspaper.
Velez later learned that his family had been rescued from the rubble and was alive.
A construction worker embraces a child at the site of the partial building collapse
A person is taken away on a stretcher after the building collapse
Firefighters respond to the building collapse in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood
New York City Buildings Department inspectors were at the scene assisting with recovery work and checking the stability of nearby buildings
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addresses the devastating Brooklyn building collapse Wednesday night
Mamdani had earlier said on X that his office would release information “as soon as we can confirm it.”
“As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts,” he wrote.
Governor Kathy Hochul said: “My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. I’m keeping them in my thoughts and praying for everyone affected.”
“My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened,” she added.
This is breaking news – Updates to follow.
