At least 2 dead, multiple injured after building collapses in Brooklyn, New York: Mayor
At least two people are dead and multiple others injured after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, according to New York City authorities.
The FDNY said rescue operations are underway after responding to reports of people trapped following a building collapse in the Flatbush neighborhood.
A three-story building collapsed into an open excavation site, where workers were on scene, according to an FDNY dispatch. The wall of another three-story building that now stands next to the site was also shorn off, exposing apartments.
Two people have died, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Another 10 people have been transported to local hospitals with both critical and non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
"This was a devastating collapse," he said at a press briefing Wednesday night.
Earlier, the FDNY said several construction workers were being transported to the hospital for treatment, and firefighters were trying to get a count of all the workers on the job site.
The site under construction is being developed into a nine-story, mixed-use building, with plans for a grocery store and medical center on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors, permit records show.
The first 911 call on the collapse came in at 4:01 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Firefighters could be seen among the debris in the construction pit, located at the intersection of Flatbush and Bedford Avenues. After several hours, apparent search-and-rescue canines could also be seen at work.
Amid the massive response, at least two people could be seen being rescued from the rubble, pulled out on stretchers. In one dramatic scene, a woman was rescued more than two hours into the rescue operation, as night fell on the site.
A man who had been frantically looking for his pregnant wife told reporters, "I have an update from my wife, she is alive," before boarding an ambulance with a victim.
The NYC Department of Buildings said its inspectors "are on scene at a major building collapse near Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings."
NYC Council Member Farah Louis, who represents Flatbush, called the images from the site "heartbreaking."
"We are devastated to learn that at least one life has been lost, with multiple people reported trapped and several injured as emergency personnel work urgently to reach everyone in the rubble," Louis said in a statement.
"My immediate priority is the safety of everyone impacted, and my team is actively working to reach affected families to connect them with critical information and support during this frightening time," the statement continued.
Mamdani urged people to avoid the area amid the rescue response.
"As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts," he said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
