2 children among the 8 dead in New York City building collapse, officials say

Search for survivors in NYC building collapse02:12Get more newsonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy David K. LiTwo children were among the eight people killed after a New York City apartment building collapsed, officials said Thursday, as rescuers fought the rain in their continued, frantic search for possible survivors.

The FDNY crews were still in rescue mode more than 20 hours after the horrific collapse at 1321 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, the city’s most populous borough.

“We will be here until we are 100% sure there are no more people trapped,” FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore told reporters. “To be clear, we have not shifted from rescue to recovery. We are still in the search-and-rescue phase.”

First responders search for victims in the rubble in Brooklyn Thursday.Charly Triballeau / AFP via GettySix of the eight killed were pronounced dead at the scene, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Two others died at the hospital.

“This has been a very dark evening and morning for our city,” Mamdani said.

The half-dozen dead adults also included a pair of construction workers, he added.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWave of Iran-linked plots raise security questions about American bases in BritainFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe price of baby formula just set a dubious recordFOR SUBSCRIBERSJensen Huang agrees to brief Congress on relationship with alleged spy, lawmaker saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSRepublicans tiptoe around Trump as they process defeat in the 2026 electionsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow Alice Huang came to be Nvidia chief’s alleged lover and suspected spyFOR SUBSCRIBERSOSU abuse survivors blast Jim Jordan’s election as House minority leaderFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe House districts that remain uncalled after the 2026 midtermsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow measles surged in the U.S.FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow a concerned mother says she helped rescue a missing Utah teen held captive in Oregon FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino groups’ first demand of the new Congress: Subpoena Stephen MillerFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow American Legion halls are adapting to survive a shrinking veteran populationFOR SUBSCRIBERSCubans say their houses are collapsing on top of them but they have nowhere to goFOR SUBSCRIBERSDeadly floods sweep Gaza’s tents, intensifying pressure on IsraelFOR SUBSCRIBERSDemocrats skeptical Trump wants to work with them after elevating Stephen MillerFOR SUBSCRIBERSPentagon threatens to ‘physically’ remove reporters if they ‘get out of line’Slide 1 of 1For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSWave of Iran-linked plots raise security questions about American bases in BritainFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe price of baby formula just set a dubious recordFOR SUBSCRIBERSJensen Huang agrees to brief Congress on relationship with alleged spy, lawmaker saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSRepublicans tiptoe around Trump as they process defeat in the 2026 electionsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow Alice Huang came to be Nvidia chief’s alleged lover and suspected spyFOR SUBSCRIBERSOSU abuse survivors blast Jim Jordan’s election as House minority leaderFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe House districts that remain uncalled after the 2026 midtermsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow measles surged in the U.S.FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow a concerned mother says she helped rescue a missing Utah teen held captive in Oregon FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino groups’ first demand of the new Congress: Subpoena Stephen MillerFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow American Legion halls are adapting to survive a shrinking veteran populationFOR SUBSCRIBERSCubans say their houses are collapsing on top of them but they have nowhere to goFOR SUBSCRIBERSDeadly floods sweep Gaza’s tents, intensifying pressure on IsraelFOR SUBSCRIBERSDemocrats skeptical Trump wants to work with them after elevating Stephen MillerFOR SUBSCRIBERSPentagon threatens to ‘physically’ remove reporters if they ‘get out of line’Slide 1 of 1There were 18 people injured, four of those were firefighters and 14 were civilians. One of those injured was listed in critical condition.

“This is a devastating tragedy for New York and our prayers are with those who are recovering in the hospital and those who have died,” Bonsignore said. “The FDNY mourns with those families and we promise, with everything we have, we will not stop working until everyone is rescued or recovered.”

Personal belongings remain in a damaged building next to the site. Yuki Iwamura / APThe three-story apartment building came down at about 4 p.m. EST Monday, triggering a massive response from firefighters and other rescuers.

The building, with a business on the ground floor and two stories of residential units above, was next to an excavation site where single-floor building had been cleared.

Since Wednesday afternoon’s collapse, rescue teams have been scouring the wreckage looking for any bodies or survivors under the rubble.

The ongoing search also impacted neighboring residences with “water mains” shut down to 100 nearby buildings “so emergency crews can continue search and rescue operations,” according to a New York City Environment Protection statement on Thursday.

A K-9 dog searches the site.Yuki Iwamura / APIt wasn’t immediately clear what caused the collapse but investigators will likely pay equal attention to the fallen building and the excavation site next door.

Owners of that emptied property had been cleared to dig a maximum of 14 feet down, according to a building application.

David K. LiSenior Breaking News Reporter