Eight Dead, Including Two Children, After Brooklyn Building Collapses Into Construction Site

At least eight people, including two children, were killed after a three-story apartment building collapsed into an adjacent construction site in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a massive rescue operation that continued into Thursday.

The collapse occurred shortly after 4 p.m. at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, near Bedford Avenue, as construction workers were excavating a neighboring lot. The building fell into the open excavation area, trapping residents and workers beneath tons of debris.

New York City officials confirmed Thursday that six adults and two children had died in the disaster. At least 18 others were injured, including civilians and firefighters who responded to the emergency.

More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel rushed to the scene, working through the night to locate survivors. Rescue crews used specialized equipment, drones, search dogs, and vacuum trucks to carefully remove debris while avoiding additional structural collapses.

The force of the collapse also damaged a neighboring apartment building, tearing away part of its exterior wall and exposing rooms, furniture, and personal belongings.

Several victims were pulled alive from the wreckage, including children and a pregnant woman. Emergency workers transported injured residents to nearby hospitals as families gathered outside the disaster zone searching for information about missing loved ones.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the disaster as a devastating tragedy and praised the firefighters, emergency personnel, and construction workers who risked their lives to rescue others.

The mayor confirmed that two of the victims were construction workers. One was identified as 26-year-old Jose Luis Caguana, an Ecuadorian immigrant whose wife is pregnant with their second child.

Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore emphasized that the operation remained focused on finding survivors, even as rescuers faced dangerous conditions beneath unstable sections of the building.

Officials have not determined what caused the collapse, although investigators are examining construction activity at the neighboring property.

City records show that inspectors previously issued a stop-work order involving the adjacent construction project over inadequate safety protections during demolition. Inspectors later identified additional violations before work was permitted to resume.

The Department of Buildings has launched an investigation into the collapse, including whether excavation work contributed to the structural failure.

Mayor Mamdani also ordered safety inspections at approximately 100 construction sites connected to the companies involved in the project.

Meanwhile, city officials established an emergency assistance center at the Flatbush YMCA for residents displaced by the disaster. The American Red Cross is helping affected families obtain temporary housing and other essential services.

Police closed nearby streets as investigators and emergency crews continued working at the scene. Residents were urged to avoid the area while rescue operations remained underway.

The collapse ranks among New York City’s deadliest building disasters in recent years, leaving families devastated and raising urgent questions about construction safety and enforcement.

As of Thursday afternoon, firefighters were continuing to search the wreckage for anyone who might still be trapped, while investigators worked to determine how the catastrophic collapse occurred.