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A three-story mixed-use building in Flatbush, Brooklyn, collapsed into an adjacent construction site, killing at least two people and injuring 17 others, officials said.
A three-story mixed-use building in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn collapsed around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, killing at least two people and injuring 17 others, city officials said. The building fell into an adjacent construction site, trapping residents and construction workers in both structures.
Fire officials said 19 victims have been accounted for, including the two fatalities. Four people are in critical condition, 12 are stable, and one firefighter has minor injuries. At least seven of the victims are children. A pregnant woman was pulled from the rubble alive.
More than 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene, arriving one minute after the first 911 call at 4:01 p.m. Rescue crews used drones, dogs, flashlights, and power tools to search the debris. New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore described the work as dangerous and perilous, warning of a possible secondary collapse.
"This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
The New York City Department of Buildings is investigating the cause of the collapse. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers were excavating an empty lot next door when the building fell. City records show that in April, a demolition contractor was issued a violation for unlawfully continuing demolition work at the adjacent construction site despite a stop order; the violation was resolved in October with a $10,000 penalty.
The collapsed building was built in 1930 and contained four residential units and one commercial unit. An adjacent three-story apartment building had its wall sheared off, exposing rooms inside.
NYC Emergency Management opened a help center for impacted Flatbush residents at the local Flatbush YMCA. Rescue operations are expected to continue for several days.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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