Building collapse in Brooklyn kills at least two, injures 17

At least two people have died and more than 17 others have been injured after a three‑storey building on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn collapsed into an open construction site on Wednesday afternoon.

The collapse, which occurred at about 16:00 local time, triggered a large‑scale search‑and‑rescue operation involving over 250 first responders, including the New York City Fire Department, police and emergency medical crews.

Rescuers used search dogs, drones, axes and chainsaws as they worked through the rubble, which exposed bedrooms, closets and household items. Hours later, aerial video showed firefighters pulling a dust‑covered survivor, later identified as a six‑month‑pregnant woman, out on a stretcher.

Witnesses described a “big boom” and the sound of screaming as the building fell. One resident, Emmanuella Carilus, said she lived directly behind the structure and heard the noise of sirens that did not stop.

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore called the rescue mission “extremely dangerous” and said crews have been working methodically since they arrived. The effort is expected to continue for several days as officials investigate the cause of the sudden collapse.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited the site, praising the rapid response of emergency services, which he said arrived in under a minute and have been working in “dangerous and highly technical conditions.”

The building, constructed in 1930, stood next to an active excavation site where plans for a new development have been approved. It is not yet clear whether the construction work contributed to the collapse.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Doruk Aksel Anıl / Pexels.