Criminal investigation opened into Brooklyn building collapse that left 8 dead - The Independent

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A criminal investigation has been opened into the collapse of a New York City building that left eight people dead.

​The shocking moment happened Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn and saw a three-story building collapse into an open construction site. The area became the site of a huge rescue operation involving aerial drones, sniffer dogs, and hundreds of emergency responders.

​Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez says that an investigation into the collapse, which left at least 18 people injured, has been opened.

​“I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in today’s building collapse in Flatbush,” he wrote on X. “We are working closely with the Department of Buildings and our law enforcement partners to determine whether any criminal conduct contributed to this tragedy.”

​Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that two of those who died in the collapse were children, with a further two being construction workers.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined, but remains under investigation.

The mayor revealed that there are “five main entities involved with this construction site who are associated with approximately 100 other sites across the city.”

​Mamdani says that those sites are also being investigated by the Department of Buildings.

​“A tragedy of this magnitude demands a comprehensive and thorough investigation that includes both the construction site and the building which collapsed,” Mamdani declared. “That has already begun with the Department of Buildings and law enforcement leading it.

​“We will find out what happened and we will share that information with New Yorkers.”

​The building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue collapsed around 4 p.m., with the first emergency responders arriving on the scene within one minute, Mamdani says.

​The mammoth effort to search for survivors continued until just after 3.30 p.m. Thursday, despite rain drenching the area.

​Amid the search, a man revealed that his wife, who is six months pregnant, was pulled from the wreckage by emergency workers. For some time, he had not known if she was alive or dead.

​A pre-construction survey obtained by USA Today noted that the building’s north facade “in poor condition with noticeable cracks identified.”

​Workers at the neighboring construction site, 2625 Bedford Avenue, held permits for foundation and excavation work.

​However, in March 2026, a stop-work order was issued after workers demolished a pre-existing one-story building without adequate overhead protections, the city official told The Associated Press in an email.

A summons was issued in April after demolition continued in violation of the stop-work order, which was lifted in May once corrections were implemented.

A 311 complaint obtained by The New York Times was filed just hours after the building collapsed, asking the inspectors to examine whether excavation at the construction site contributed to the disaster.

“My concern is that the subcontractor may have excavated too much of the area along the neighboring foundation at once,” the complaint continues. “Please determine whether the excavation sequence, the extent of foundation exposure or the soil and groundwater conditions contributed to the collapse.”

Two law enforcement sources told the newspaper that the complaint would be part of their probe. It is unclear who filed the complaint.

The Independent has contacted the city leaders and NYPD for further comment.