At least two people were killed and several others injured after a three-storey building collapsed near a construction site in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York City, authorities said. Rescue teams were searching through the debris for people feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Firefighters rushed to the scene in the borough’s Flatbush section around 4 pm on Wednesday. Footage from news helicopters showed dozens of firefighters combing through the debris, climbing over the rubble and using their hands and power saws to cut through the wreckage.
Two killed, 10 injured
According to officials, two people died in the collapse, while at least four others were taken to hospital in critical condition. Six more people were hospitalised with minor injuries.
At around 6.30 pm, firefighters pulled a dust-covered person alive from a hole they had dug into the rubble. The survivor was placed on a stretcher and rushed to a waiting ambulance.
The collapsed building stood at the edge of a plot where a one-storey structure had been demolished to make way for a construction project. Excavation work was underway at the site, and the debris from the collapsed building, including bricks and timber, fell into the construction pit.
An adjoining building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, but part of its wall had been torn away, exposing the interiors of rooms, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothes.
Rescue teams continued their search using drones and sniffer dogs, while firefighters manually shifted chunks of rubble. As darkness fell, emergency workers used flashlights to illuminate the site and continue the operation.
New York City Mayor on incident
The New York Police Department (NYPD) urged residents and commuters to stay away from the area around Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue following the incident. In a post on X, the NYPD warned that road closures and traffic delays were expected in the area and advised motorists to use alternate routes to avoid disruption and allow emergency personnel to carry out rescue operations.
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani also commented on the incident, saying that emergency responders were working to secure the site and assist those affected by the collapse.
In his post on X, Mamdani said, “Flatbush Avenue is closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue – please avoid the area so rescue crews can work.”
He further said that the city would provide additional information once officials were in a position to confirm the details of the incident. “As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbours and the members of this community in our hearts,” Mamdani said.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed condolences to the family of the person who lost their life in the building collapse. In a post on X, she said, “My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”
(With AP inputs)
Also Read
Four killed, 88 injured as two trains collide in Egypt’s Giza province; death count likely to rise