On a Wednesday afternoon in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a three-story building of apartments above shops gave way beside an excavation pit, the kind of ordinary ground-level labor a city depends on until it suddenly isn't. Two people have died, others remain buried beneath brick and timber, and hundreds of rescuers have turned the wreckage into a patient, hand-by-hand search. Why it fell has not yet been decided; that question now waits for investigators, while the people beneath the rubble wait for their families and the firefighters who are still digging.
Firefighters Dig Through Brooklyn Rubble After Building Collapse Kills Two, Traps Others
At least two people killed, at least 10 injured including four in critical condition, and others trapped in the rubble, with a family of four among the residents affected.
Its wall was sheared away, exposing a bedroom and closets full of clothing.
Mark
What do we actually know about why this building came down?
Mimi
Very little about cause. We know it stood at the edge of a lot being excavated after a one-story building was demolished, and that workers were doing excavation next to it when it fell.
Luke
But that's proximity, not a finding. No one has said the digging caused it, and the story shouldn't imply that yet.
Mark
How many people are we talking about?
Mimi
At least two dead, at least 10 hospitalized, four critically. About 250 firefighters are on scene.
Luke
And the missing count is the real gap. Chief Esposito said plainly they don't know how many are missing. Two dead is a floor, not a total.
Mark
Was there any good news amid it?
Mimi
Around 6:30 p.m. a dust-covered person was pulled alive from a hole in the pile. And Anderson Velez's wife and two kids, ages 7 and 2, were pulled out alive.
Luke
Worth noting that Velez's account comes via the New York Post, relayed secondhand. It's his own telling, not something officials have confirmed.
Mark
What detail stays with you?
Mimi
The neighboring building, its wall sheared off, with a bedroom and clothes in closets exposed.
Luke
And nobody from the architect, owner or contractor has commented yet. Accountability questions are open.
El Pulso
- A three-story apartment-and-shop building in Flatbush collapsed into a construction pit, and the city is reeling from the sudden loss.
- At least two people are dead, at least ten hospitalized with four in critical condition, and an unknown number still trapped beneath the debris.
- About 250 firefighters are climbing over unstable rubble with hands, power saws, drones and search dogs, working by flashlight as night falls.
- A rescued person was pulled out alive around 6:30 p.m., while a family of four was reported trapped and later found alive, though the full count of the missing remains unsettled and the cause is still unconfirmed.
On a Wednesday afternoon in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a three-story building of apartments above shops gave way beside an excavation pit, the kind of ordinary ground-level labor a city depends on until it suddenly isn't. Two people have died, others remain buried beneath brick and timber, and hundreds of rescuers have turned the wreckage into a patient, hand-by-hand search. Why it fell has not yet been decided; that question now waits for investigators, while the people beneath the rubble wait for their families and the firefighters who are still digging.
On Wednesday afternoon, a three-story building in Brooklyn's Flatbush section came down at the edge of a construction site. It was a mixed-use building, with apartments above businesses, and it stood beside a lot where a one-story building had been torn down and the ground was being excavated. When it fell, it filled the pit with bricks and wood. At least two people were killed, and others were left trapped beneath the wreckage.
By evening, about 250 firefighters were working across the debris, climbing over it, pulling it apart by hand, and cutting through with power saws. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least 10 people had been taken to hospitals, four in critical condition. FDNY officials were clear that they did not yet know how many people were missing, and said the search would continue for several days.
Around 6:30 p.m., rescuers lifted a dust-covered person, alive and moving, out of a hole dug into the pile and onto a stretcher. Drones hovered, dogs searched, and the work went on by flashlight as darkness settled. The neighboring building, which shared a wall with the one that fell, still stood, though its wall was sheared away and a bedroom and closets full of clothing were left open to the air.
One resident, Anderson Velez, was at work when his wife called to say she and their two children, ages 7 and 2, were trapped. The call cut off. He later learned his family had been pulled from the rubble alive. For now, the work continues, investigators are expected to examine the excavation next door, and the number still missing has not been established.
On Wednesday afternoon, a three-story building in Brooklyn's Flatbush section came down at the edge of a construction site. At least two people were killed and others were left trapped beneath the wreckage. By evening, scores of firefighters were working across the debris, which news helicopter footage showed them climbing over, pulling apart with their hands and cutting through with power saws.
The collapsed structure was a mixed-use building, with apartments above businesses. It stood beside a lot where a one-story building had been torn down for a construction project, and the site was being excavated. When the building fell, it filled the construction pit with bricks and wood. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers were on site at the time, doing excavation work next to the building that collapsed. No official cause has been given.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a news conference that at least 10 people had been taken to a hospital, four of them in critical condition. About 250 firefighters were at the scene, he said. FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito was direct about the central uncertainty: officials did not know how many people were missing overall. Fire department officials said search and rescue operations would continue for several days.
Around 6:30 p.m., rescuers lifted a dust-covered person, alive and moving, out of a hole they had dug into the pile. The person was hoisted up on a stretcher and rushed to a waiting ambulance. A drone hovered over the site, dogs searched for survivors, and as darkness fell the firefighters worked by flashlight. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
The building next door, which shared a wall with the one that fell, remained standing, but its wall was sheared away. That left its interior exposed, including a bedroom and closets still full of clothing.
Mamdani described the situation as incredibly challenging and fast-moving, with precarious wreckage and dangerous voids beneath the surface, and said this is the kind of rescue the FDNY trains for. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore called the work dangerous and perilous, adding that every move is choreographed.
One resident, Anderson Velez, told the New York Post he was at work when his wife called to say she and their two children, ages 7 and 2, were trapped. She was screaming for someone to help get their son out, he said, and then the call cut off. Velez later learned his family had been pulled from the rubble alive.
The Associated Press said it left phone and email messages with the architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records for the construction project, seeking comment. For now, the work at the site continues, investigators are expected to look at the excavation next door, and the number of people still missing has not been established.
Citas Notables
We do not know how many people were missing overall.— John Esposito, FDNY chief of department
Every move is choreographed.— Lillian Bonsignore, FDNY Commissioner
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