On a Wednesday afternoon in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a three-story building that had stood beside a half-demolished lot gave way, sending brick and timber into the excavation pit that had been dug next to it. In the ordinary rhythm of a city that is always building and rebuilding, the ground itself betrayed a neighbor, and one life was lost while others were pinned beneath what remained. The cause has not yet been named, but the open pit beside the wreckage is the first place anyone will look, and the search continues as the light fades.
Firefighters Dig Through Brooklyn Rubble After Building Collapse Kills One, Traps Others
One person was killed, four others were in critical condition, and six more were hospitalized with minor injuries after the collapse.
A bedroom and closets still full of clothing, cut open to the street.
Mark
What do we actually know about what happened?
Mimi
A three-story building in Flatbush collapsed around 4 p.m. Wednesday, next to a lot where a one-story building had been demolished and the ground was being excavated. At least one person died, four are critical, and six had minor injuries.
Mark
What's the detail that stays with you?
Mimi
The neighboring building. Its shared wall was torn off, so you could see a bedroom and closets full of clothes. It's a home that was cut open.
Luke
Careful, though. The excavation is right there, but nobody has said it caused this.
Mimi
Right. The proximity is a fact. The cause is not established in what's been reported.
Mark
Is the casualty count final?
Luke
No. The fire department says at least one person died, and people were still trapped. Those numbers are from an active rescue and could move.
Mark
How were rescuers working?
Mimi
Mostly by hand, tossing chunks of rubble aside, with dogs searching for survivors, a saw cutting through at one spot, and flashlights once it got dark.
Luke
And we don't know who the victims are, or how many people were inside.
Mimi
Correct. None of that has been given yet.
Mark
What should a reader watch for?
Mimi
Any update on the death toll, and what investigators find about the excavation and the building's condition.
Le Pouls
- A three-story building folded into a construction pit in Flatbush, leaving at least one person dead and others buried in the rubble.
- Four people lie in critical condition and six more with minor injuries, while the unknown count of trapped residents keeps the stakes climbing.
- Firefighters dig by hand and with saws through brick and timber, pulling at least one victim out on a stretcher as search dogs and a drone work the site.
- Flashlights replace daylight as rescuers push into the night, and the death toll remains open to change.
- Investigators are expected to focus on the excavation next to the building, and the question of cause hangs over the still-active scene.
On a Wednesday afternoon in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a three-story building that had stood beside a half-demolished lot gave way, sending brick and timber into the excavation pit that had been dug next to it. In the ordinary rhythm of a city that is always building and rebuilding, the ground itself betrayed a neighbor, and one life was lost while others were pinned beneath what remained. The cause has not yet been named, but the open pit beside the wreckage is the first place anyone will look, and the search continues as the light fades.
Around four in the afternoon on Wednesday, firefighters were called to a three-story building in Flatbush that had come down entirely. Within hours, dozens of them were working across the debris, and helicopter cameras showed one crew concentrating on a single spot, cutting through the wreckage with a saw.
The Fire Department said at least one person had been killed. Four others were rushed to hospitals in critical condition, and six more were treated for minor injuries. People were still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble as the work went on.
The building had stood at the edge of a lot where a one-story structure had recently been torn down for a construction project. The site was being excavated, and when the three-story building fell, it poured bricks and wood into the pit. Next door, a building that shared a wall with it remained upright, but that wall had been sheared away, leaving a bedroom and closets full of clothing open to the street.
Much of the rescue was done by hand, with rescuers tossing chunks of rubble aside. Aerial footage showed one person lifted from the debris and carried away on a stretcher. Drones circled overhead and search dogs moved across the wreckage, and when darkness came, firefighters worked by flashlight.
What caused the collapse is not yet known, and the injured and dead have not been named. The excavation beside the building is the obvious place investigators will turn, and the toll may still rise before the night's work is done.
Around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, firefighters were called to the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, where a three-story building had come down. By the time helicopter cameras were overhead, dozens of firefighters were working across the debris, and one group had concentrated on a single spot, appearing to use a saw to cut through the wreckage.
The New York City Fire Department said at least one person was killed. Four others were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Six more people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The department said people remained trapped beneath the rubble as the work continued.
The building had stood at the edge of a lot where a one-story building had earlier been torn down for a construction project. The site was being excavated, and when the three-story structure fell, it filled the construction pit with bricks and wood.
A neighboring building that shared a wall with the collapsed one stayed standing, but its wall was sheared away. From the outside, the rooms inside were exposed, including a bedroom and closets still filled with clothing.
Aerial video showed firefighters digging at least one person out of the debris and carrying that person away on a stretcher. Much of the work was done by hand, with rescuers tossing chunks of rubble aside. A drone hovered over the site, and search dogs were brought in to sniff for survivors.
As darkness fell, firefighters lit the area where they were working with flashlights, and the search continued.
The reporting so far does not say what caused the collapse, and the source does not identify the dead or injured. The excavation beside the building is the obvious thing investigators are likely to examine. The death toll could also change as the rescue continues into the night.
Citations marquantes
At least one person was killed and people remain trapped in the rubble.— New York City Fire Department (paraphrased)
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