Brooklyn building collapse leaves multiple dead and firefighters scrambling to rescue trapped people
Multiple people have died and several others have been hospitalized after a building partially collapsed Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn, triggering a massive, high-risk technical rescue operation by the FDNY.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene along Bedford Avenue, between Newkirk and Flatbush avenues, shortly after 4 p.m. following panicked reports that a building facade had suddenly collapsed, trapping victims beneath mountains of brick, concrete, and splintered timber.
First responders pulled one victim from the heavy debris, who was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS personnel, according to the NYPD.
Critical injuries and rescues underway
A second victim was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Kings County Hospital Center in critical condition. Several other victims were transported to area hospitals, though the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
At the latest count, approximately six people are in critical condition, according to officials, with six others also injured.
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One of the injured is a child, New York City Council member Farah N. Louis told CNN affiliate Spectrum News NY1.
“Imagine what that child is experiencing right now,” Louis said. “That should’ve never happened.”
A rescue is ongoing to pull one more person from the rubble, with the injured mostly consisting of construction workers and some residents.
The building that collapsed included a store at ground level and at least one apartment upstairs.
“That particular lot has been vacant for a long time. It used to be a senior, adult day care,” New York State Rep. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told NY1.
“They were waiting for a permit to build affordable housing. We don’t know the details in terms of why the building collapsed but all I know is it’s been probably neglected.”
Dramatic aerial footage and video from the scene showed dozens of firefighters scouring piles of pulverized rubble, using power saws and digging with their bare hands while canines and aerial drones were deployed to locate any remaining survivors.
As darkness fell over Flatbush, rescue personnel set up floodlights and technical listening devices across the perimeter, treating the site as an active rescue zone.
Developing investigation
The cause of the sudden structural failure has not yet been determined.
City records indicate active construction activity in the immediate vicinity of the collapse site, leaving inspectors from the Department of Buildings on scene to evaluate whether excavation or adjacent foundation work destabilized the standing structure.
The NYC Emergency Management department issued advisories urging residents and motorists to steer clear of Bedford, Newkirk, and Flatbush avenues as road closures, heavy apparatus, and emergency cordons remain in place throughout the evening.
Mayor Mamdani breaks silence
At a news conference on Wednesday evening, NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that the death toll had risen and reiterated that well over 10 people were injured after a three-story building in New York City collapsed.
Mamdani said that he is 'heartbroken' about the tragedy and asked New Yorkers to pray for the people who died and their loved ones, as well as for 'a fast and full recovery for all those who were injured'.
During the same conference, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore revealed that a total of 19 patients had been recovered from the collapse so far.
This includes two people who are deceased, four that are critical and 12 that are stable. It also includes seven children as part of the 19 total.
It is currently unknown how many more people may be trapped or still to be recovered from the wreckage, with fire department officials working around the clock alongside EMS and trained canine units to help search for survivors.
Phoebe Tonks
