The Brooklyn building collapse in New York City has claimed at least eight lives and injured 17 people, as emergency workers continue searching through the rubble of a three-storey residential property in the Flatbush neighbourhood.
The building came crashing down at approximately 4pm on Wednesday, leaving residents trapped beneath piles of bricks, timber and other debris. Four of the injured victims were critically hurt, while at least seven children were among those affected.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed grief over the tragedy, confirming the latest casualty figures in a statement published on X on Thursday morning.
“Eight New Yorkers have now lost their lives and at least 17 have been injured, including three firefighters,” Mamdani wrote.
“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.”
The mayor urged residents and members of the public to avoid the affected area along Flatbush Avenue, where approximately 250 emergency responders were deployed.
He warned that rescue teams were operating under extremely dangerous conditions as they attempted to establish whether anyone remained trapped beneath the wreckage.
Emergency teams race to find survivors
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) continued its search operation into Thursday, with officials maintaining hope that more survivors could be found.
Rescuers deployed drones and specially trained canine units to locate people beneath the debris. An excavator was also brought to the scene during the early hours of Thursday to remove larger sections of the collapsed structure.
Footage recorded on Wednesday evening showed firefighters carrying injured people away on stretchers. One victim was rescued at approximately 6.30pm after emergency workers dug through the debris to reach the individual.
Another reported survivor was a woman who was six months pregnant. Her husband had spent hours desperately searching for her following the collapse.
According to local ABC News affiliate WABC, the man later confirmed that his wife had survived.
“I have an update. She is alive, she is still alive. I am very happy,” he said.
The rescue operation attracted dozens of residents and onlookers, some of whom watched in tears as firefighters worked through the wreckage.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore warned that the operation would take considerable time, stressing that emergency workers were not ready to leave the scene.
“We know that we are not finished here, and we will likely not be finished for quite some time,” she told reporters and members of the public during an evening briefing.
Weather conditions raise concerns for rescuers
The search operation faced additional pressure from forecasts predicting heavy rainfall, possible thunderstorms and strong winds across the borough from Thursday lunchtime.
The expected weather conditions increased concerns about the safety of rescue workers and the possibility of further complications at the damaged site.
Several people displaced by the disaster found temporary shelter at the Bethesda Church of God in Christ, located opposite the collapsed building.
The property contained several apartments and stood beside a construction site where another single-storey structure had previously been demolished.
Excavation work was taking place on the neighbouring site when the residential building collapsed, sending bricks and timber into the construction pit.
A nearby building that shared a wall with the affected property remained standing. However, part of its wall was torn away, exposing sections of the interior, including a bedroom and wardrobes containing clothing.
Photographs from the scene showed the remains of apartments, staircases and household spaces exposed to the street.
Investigators examine neighbouring construction project
New York City’s Department of Buildings has begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Attention has turned to construction activities taking place immediately beside the residential property before the disaster.
Local television station NY1 reported that the department had identified several violations connected to the neighbouring construction project during inspections in May.
The reported issues included carrying out work despite an existing stop-work order, failing to provide adequate overhead protection for neighbouring properties and not following approved construction plans.
The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development had also recorded almost 100 violations against the collapsed property dating back to 1972, according to NY1.
Property records described the building as a three-storey structure containing four residential apartments and one commercial unit.
Investigators are expected to examine the condition of the building, the neighbouring excavation work and the history of reported violations to determine what caused the structure to fall.
The authorities have not yet established the precise cause of the collapse.
As the search continues, families are waiting for information about missing relatives while emergency workers face the difficult task of clearing unstable debris.
The disaster has also raised fresh questions about construction safety, regulatory enforcement and the protection of residential buildings located close to active development sites.
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