Key Takeaways
- First responders arrived at the scene in under a minute, spending hours searching through the debris for survivors.
- Out of the total injured, four people are in critical condition, seven were children, and one woman was pregnant.
- New York City officials are working to investigate the cause of the collapse, including whether criminal conduct played any role.
The death toll from Wednesday’s (Nov. 11) devastating building collapse in Brooklyn climbed to eight on early Thursday (Nov. 12) morning. According to the New York City Fire Department, at least 17 people were also injured when the three-story residential building, located next to a construction site in the borough’s Flatbush neighborhood, came crashing down around 4 p.m. ET.
“Rescue workers have spent the night searching the site of yesterday’s building collapse, working under extremely dangerous conditions to find and save anyone who may still be trapped,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on X, adding that he was “heartbroken” over the tragedy, which also left three firefighters injured.
“There are no words for a loss of this magnitude. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we have lost, those who are injured, and everyone grieving today,” he continued. “Rescue operations are ongoing. Please stay clear of the area and keep those affected, and our first responders risking their lives in these efforts, in your thoughts.”
In a separate, earlier post, Mamdani, who joined FDNY and emergency crews on Wednesday, said first responders arrived at Flatbush Avenue “in under a minute” and “spent hours working in dangerous and highly technical conditions to rescue New Yorkers.” Take a look at his tweets below, then continue scrolling for more information on the Brooklyn building collapse.
New York City Fire Department shares new details about the deadly building collapse in Brooklyn
According to the FDNY, their personnel responded to the collapse at 4:01 p.m. ET, after a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. fell into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave. Excavation work was underway when the structure came down, and officials believe four of the victims were construction workers.
Out of the total eight victims, six were found in the rubble, and two were pronounced dead at a hospital. Among the 17 injured, the FDNY said seven were children, four were in critical condition, and one woman was pregnant.
City records show that construction work on the nearby site had been underway for months. According to Department of Buildings (DOB) filings, one stop-work order was allegedly violated, but the matter was ultimately resolved. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez noted that his office is working with the DOB to determine "whether any criminal conduct contributed to this tragedy."
Our hearts go out to everyone who lost a loved one or has family members recovering from injuries sustained in the tragedy.