At least eight people were killed and 17 injured when a three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn, with emergency crews continuing to search for survivors as investigators examine construction activity at an adjacent property.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
NEW YORK — At least eight people have died and 17 others have been injured following the collapse of a three-story building in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Nov. 11, as firefighters continued searching through debris Thursday for additional victims and possible survivors.
The building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. collapsed shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, falling into an excavation site at 2625 Bedford Ave. and severely damaging a neighboring structure. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the rising death toll Thursday as emergency crews worked through the night to locate people trapped beneath the wreckage.
According to The Associated Press, the building contained commercial space on the ground floor and apartments above. At least three firefighters were among those injured, while several survivors were pulled from the debris during the continuing rescue operation.
Firefighters deployed search dogs, heavy equipment and hand tools to navigate the unstable wreckage. Among those rescued was a pregnant woman who had become trapped when the building collapsed. Emergency personnel worked carefully around damaged walls and exposed structural components to reach victims without triggering additional collapses.
ABC7 New York reported that the death toll had reached eight by Thursday, while the number of reported injuries stood at 17. Authorities had not established whether additional people remained missing.
The investigation is focusing partly on construction work at the adjoining property, where crews had been excavating beside the building before it collapsed. The structure fell into the neighboring excavation pit, raising questions about whether construction activity affected its stability.
City Department of Buildings records show that inspectors previously issued a stop-work order in March after identifying inadequate protections during demolition work at the adjacent site. Officials subsequently found that work had continued in violation of the order in April.
Authorities said the cited problems were corrected, and construction was permitted to resume in May. Investigators have not established whether those earlier violations contributed to Wednesday’s collapse.
The neighboring building also sustained serious structural damage, including the loss of an exterior wall that exposed portions of its interior. Emergency officials continued monitoring nearby structures because of concerns that unstable sections could shift during rescue operations.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito described the search as a particularly difficult operation requiring firefighters to navigate confined spaces beneath heavy debris. According to the New York Post, Esposito compared aspects of the rescue effort to the painstaking searches conducted following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Officials cautioned that recovery operations could continue for several days because rescuers must carefully remove debris while protecting themselves and any potential survivors. Rain forecast for Thursday also threatened to complicate the operation by saturating the rubble and making unstable areas more difficult to navigate.
One of the victims was identified by his brother as Luis Caguana, an Ecuadorian immigrant who worked in construction and leaves behind a pregnant wife and a young child. Authorities had not publicly identified all eight people reported dead.
The collapse has disrupted the surrounding Flatbush neighborhood, with police closing streets and restricting access while emergency personnel conduct rescue and recovery operations. Residents of nearby buildings have also faced uncertainty as inspectors evaluate structural conditions.
The New York City Department of Buildings is leading the investigation into the structural failure, working alongside emergency responders and law enforcement to determine whether the adjacent excavation, previously documented construction violations or other factors played a role.
City officials have emphasized that the cause remains undetermined and that the investigation will continue alongside recovery efforts.
With eight deaths confirmed and at least 17 injuries reported, Wednesday’s collapse has become a major emergency for New York City, as rescuers continue searching the wreckage and investigators seek to determine how the building failed.
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