FDNY completes search operations; confirms no more victims

Okay, we have a team of reporters covering it all tonight. We're going to begin with Fox 5's Linda Schmidt at the scene in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Linda. Yeah, and you know, we're talking about that search and rescue by the FDNY. That lasted 24 hours. It was about 20 minutes short of 24 hours, that operation. Ring cam video from the door of an apartment building that captured the very moment that that building, residential building, collapsed. Take a look at this. You could hear that. It was one minute the apartment building was there. The next minute it was gone. And it sheared off the wall of an adjoining apartment building, exposing the apartments. And you could see inside people's closets as well as their bathrooms and their bedrooms. I mean, this video is just incredible. Eight people were killed, six adults and two children. Of the six adults, two of them are construction workers, 18 injured. Fourteen civilians and four firefighters. One person, a civilian, remains in critical condition. And now go ahead, take a look at this video here, because the FDNY today saying at a press conference at about 12.15 this afternoon, they had been rotating teams of 250 FDNY members and EMS members around the clock since 4 o'clock yesterday. They had systematically and methodically gone through that mountainous... Mound of debris. They had New Rochelle, their fire department, they sent some folks down here last night, and they volunteered throughout the night, and then they went back home this morning. But the weather did present a challenge today, because the rain out here, it was a torrential downpour for most of the day. They used heavy equipment, hoisting huge pieces of debris, digging deep into that construction pit. Where the construction crew had been excavating yesterday when that collapse, that building collapse happened. Now, as of right now, four buildings remain under a vacate order. At that press conference today, the mayor talking about how the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is now involved with this situation here, this investigation, looking for possible criminality or negligence. Now, also at that press conference, the mayor talked about the fact that the city is now inspecting about 100 other construction sites. Construction sites throughout the city that are linked to the same companies involved with this construction site. Here's what he and the fire commissioner had to say. Our firefighters and rescue medics worked hand in hand in that pit, finding people, freeing them from the rubble, starting life-saving medical care right away, and transferring the patients to an awaiting EMS unit for continued medical treatment and transport to an emergency room. The work done here over the last 20 hours has been incredibly heroic. The Department of Buildings has identified five different entities associated with the construction site. Those five entities are associated with a hundred other sites across the city. The Department of Buildings is commencing sweeps of those sites to ensure that if there is anything New Yorkers need to be worried about, that we are on the scene and we are doing something about it. And once again, the FDNY saying not long ago that their rescue operation has now ended. There are no more victims, and they have turned this property now, this scene, over to the NYPD in the city buildings department. For now, that's the very latest from here. Back inside to you. All right, Linda, thank you. And tonight, we're also learning more about the victims of this collapse. All right, Fox 5's Stephanie Bertini, live at Kings County Hospital, where many of them were taken. Steph. Yeah, this is one of several hospitals where the victims who were injured were taken right after that deadly collapse. Now, if we look at the number of those injured in the collapse, it stands at 18 right now. And among all the victims, so including those injured and those who died, we know there were children, adults, first responders and construction workers who were at a job site right beside the building that went down. All of it incredibly shocking. We talked to a woman related to one of the workers. He's injured and getting treatment right now inside Kings County. He's recovering. I went to see him. Thank God he's recovering. He has minor injuries, but he really got hit on his head and everything. But he's doing better. We're like praying that he recovers really fast because he has two kids. One is three, the other one is six. So he's the one that brings money to the house. Yeah, we're really sad that this happened. We're praying for those families that they lost their families. I mean, remember? Among those rescued in the ordeal, a pregnant woman, you're looking at video of that rescue. The woman was found by crews as they were digging through rubble. Of course, her husband, incredibly grateful that she survived this. The Red Cross setting up at the Flatbush YMCA. Now, this is where displaced people can go for help. New York City Emergency Management also working with the Red Cross to help those impacted. We're told at the center there at the YMCA, people will be able to connect with government. Thank you. I'm inside this hospital right over my shoulder here. Sending it back inside. Thanks, Stephanie. We're also learning tonight that the building had been reported to be in poor condition months before yesterday's collapse. Fox 8's Sharon Crowley has been digging into past records and picks up our coverage from here. Sharon, what did you find out? Well, Natasha and Steve, now that the recovery operation is over, the investigation into what caused this deadly building collapse is underway. The Department of Buildings has identified five different entities associated with the construction site, all of those tonight. Under scrutiny. As these renderings show, the developer had hoped to build a nine-story mixed-use building on the site. He only had clearance, though, for a three-story building. Permit applications also indicating there were plans to dig 15 feet down. As we know, excavation was underway when the three-story building next door collapsed into the construction site. The DOB did issue a stop work order. Back in March, that issue was resolved and and ultimately work there resumed. These Google images showing the three-story building with the red awning before it collapsed. And here, of course, that side-by-side view of what happened yesterday, revealing that stark contrast. The mayor and Department of Buildings commissioner vowing to get to the bottom of what happened. We are launching an extensive, full of government investigation into this. There were no violations or 3-in-1 complaints related to that in advance. But we will be looking not only at photos, videotape, information from any individual who shares that. And people should be encouraged to share that information. But that will be part of the investigation. I will just underline. If there is anyone or any entity operating in this city that bears responsibility for what happened, we will hold them fully accountable. And as we said, five companies associated with the construction underway in Flatbush are under investigation. The Department of Building tonight also conducting emergency inspections at 100 other properties around the city that are linked to those entities that were working at that site. Natasha and Steve.