Eight dead after three‑storey building collapses in Brooklyn

Eight people have died and 18 others were injured when a three‑storey building collapsed in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday at about 16:00 local time.

The structure at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, built in the 1930s, contained apartments and a shop and was adjacent to an active construction site where a new development with 64 residential units and a grocery store is planned. Part of the building fell into the neighbouring excavation pit, trapping workers.

Witnesses reported a loud boom and a cloud of dust as the building gave way. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described workers who had barely survived turning back to dig victims from the rubble. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said firefighters arrived within minutes, calling their actions “incredibly heroic” and confirming that crews remain in a recovery phase.

Six adults and two children were killed – two of the victims were construction workers – with six deaths pronounced at the scene and two more at hospital. Four firefighters are among the injured, and one person remains in critical condition.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the investigation will involve the Department of Buildings and law‑enforcement partners to determine whether any criminal conduct contributed to the tragedy. The Department of Buildings’ head, Ahmed Tigani, noted no prior building‑code violations had been reported for the collapsed property.

More than 250 firefighters responded, working through the night despite hard rain and falling temperatures, and the search will continue until all victims are located.

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