2 Dead, 17 Injured as Rescuers Search Brooklyn Building Rubble - Newsweek

Two people were killed and 17 others injured, including four critically, after part of a three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday afternoon. Seven children were among those treated, according to officials.

Firefighters also pulled several survivors from the rubble as crews continued searching for anyone who might still be trapped. Officials said they did not know how many people, if any, remained missing.

The collapse occurred shortly after 4 p.m. when the mixed-use building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood collapsed into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Avenue, according to WABC.

New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials said 19 patients were treated following the collapse. Two died, four remained in critical condition, and 12 were stable, while one firefighter suffered minor injuries. Seven children were among those treated.

One of those killed was identified by his brother as Jose Luis Caguana, a 26-year-old construction worker from Ecuador, NBC New York reported. Caguana had been living in the United States for about six years and was working in construction to support his family.

His brother told the outlet that Caguana's wife is pregnant and due soon and that the couple also has a young child. His wife was too distraught to speak with reporters on camera, NBC New York added.

The FDNY had not publicly identified either person killed in the disaster as of Wednesday night.

Separately, video obtained by WABC showing the immediate aftermath appeared to show two people escaping from the rubble while a young child was carried out.

Emergency crews continued searching the rubble Wednesday night. Responders used drones to help identify possible victims and buckets and vacuum trucks to remove debris, according to WABC.

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said authorities did not know how many people had been inside the building when it collapsed or whether everyone had been accounted for, according to NBC New York. She said the number of victims could change "by the minute" as the operation continued and that the search could take days.

Dozens of firefighters worked at the scene as crews sifted through a large pile of debris, with at least one person being removed on a stretcher. As daylight faded, workers continued the rescue mission using flashlights.

K-9s were also employed, while firefighters dug through the debris by hand and a drone hovered above the site, per NBC New York. About 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene.

Video from the scene showed part of the building ripped open, exposing rooms inside. The collapsed property was a three-story mixed-use building with four residential units and five units overall, according to city records cited by NY1.

The collapse also damaged the neighboring building at 1323 Flatbush Avenue. Part of its exterior appeared to have been sheared away, exposing apartments inside, although the building remained standing, WABC reported.

The cause of the collapse remained under investigation Wednesday night.

New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers had been excavating at the neighboring site at the time of the collapse, according to WABC. Officials said approved plans called for a three-story building at the site, while plans for a nine-story mixed-use building had not yet been approved.

New York City Department of Buildings records show that the neighboring construction project had previously drawn violations. City records cited by CNN show a demolition contractor was issued one in April for continuing demolition work despite a stop-work order. The violation was resolved last month after the contractor paid $10,000 in penalties.

Officials had not established whether the excavation, earlier construction issues or any other factor contributed to Wednesday's destruction. Inspectors from the Department of Buildings were at the scene assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural-stability inspections of nearby buildings.

New York City's Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross launched a reception center at the Flatbush YMCA for residents affected by the disaster.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the implosion as "devastating" and thanked the FDNY, which he said responded within one minute.

"This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface," Mamdani said at Wednesday night's news conference, according to NBC. "The numbers may change as the work continues."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said her "heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one," adding that her administration had offered its full support as authorities investigate the cause.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her "heart is with the family and loved ones of the New Yorkers we lost" and thanked the FDNY and other first responders.

New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis, who represents the area, called images of the wreckage "heartbreaking."

The city's Emergency Management office advised people to avoid the surrounding area because of expected road closures and traffic delays. The New York City Police Department also urged people to avoid the area around Bedford and Flatbush avenues because of street closures and traffic delays and advised drivers to consider alternative routes.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins and Rhian Morgan.