NEW YORK — A three-story building in Brooklyn collapsed into the construction pit next door shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 17 others, according to the New York Post, which cited officials at the scene.
Two people pulled from the rubble were pronounced dead at the scene by EMS, the Post reported. Four others went to hospitals in critical condition. A dozen more were hospitalized in stable condition, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries. Seven children were among the hurt, though their conditions were not clear on Wednesday night.
The building stood at 1321 Flatbush Ave. in Flatbush, a mixed-use property with a store at street level and apartments above it. It fell into an open excavation site at 2625 Bedford Ave., according to CNN. Reuters, citing the New York City Fire Department, described it as a four-unit building built in 1930, and said the department got the call about the full collapse just after 4 p.m.
Rescue work went on into the night. By 7 p.m., about 250 fire and EMS personnel were at the scene, a fire department official told CNN. Crews worked with search dogs and drones, and used flashlights after daylight faded. Two and a half hours after the collapse, rescuers pulled one person out alive and took that person away by ambulance, Reuters reported, citing WABC footage. A pregnant woman was also pulled from the debris, CNN reported.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said first responders “are working quickly to secure the location and assist New Yorkers.” In a statement posted to X, he added: “As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts.”
No cause had been given by Wednesday night. The city’s Department of Buildings was at the scene investigating, CNN reported. City records cited by CNN show that in April a demolition contractor at the adjacent site was issued a violation for continuing demolition work despite a department order to stop. The violation was resolved in October, and the contractor paid $10,000 in penalties, the records show.
Police did not yet have a full account of how many people might still be trapped or missing, though officials believed it was several, CNN reported. NYC Emergency Management set up a Red Cross help center for Flatbush residents affected by the collapse.