Death toll rises to 8 in Brooklyn building collapse, 17 injured as rescuers search rubble

The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey building in Brooklyn rose to eight on Thursday, with at least 17 people injured, including three firefighters, as emergency crews continued searching through the rubble for possible survivors.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the revised toll after rescue workers recovered more bodies from the wreckage of the building, which collapsed on Wednesday afternoon beside an active construction site in the Flatbush neighbourhood.

Two fatalities had initially been confirmed on Wednesday, while six additional deaths were reported as search operations continued overnight.

The building, located at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, housed residential apartments above commercial premises on the ground floor. Much of the structure collapsed into an adjoining excavation site, leaving a massive pile of twisted metal, timber and broken bricks.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞

Around 250 firefighters were deployed at the site, working alongside police officers and other emergency personnel to locate people who might still be trapped.

Rescue teams used power saws, pickaxes, search dogs and buckets to remove debris while attempting to reach spaces beneath the collapsed structure where survivors could be trapped.

Firefighters worked through the night despite unstable conditions and the possibility of further structural failures.

Several people were pulled alive from the wreckage, including a woman rescued on Wednesday evening after firefighters spotted movement inside a cavity in the rubble.

Emergency personnel carefully lifted her onto a stretcher before transferring her to an ambulance.

Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore described the operation as dangerous, emphasising the need for rescuers to coordinate every movement to avoid destabilising the debris.

The rescue effort faced an additional challenge, with heavy rainfall forecast for Thursday afternoon, potentially complicating the search.

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬

Mayor Mamdani expressed grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families of those killed.

"There are no words for a loss of this magnitude," Mamdani said in a statement posted on X.

He expressed solidarity with the injured and those mourning the victims, while assuring residents that emergency services were continuing their response.

Authorities said the number of people inside the building when it collapsed had not been immediately established, raising concerns that additional victims could remain beneath the debris.

Emergency officials also indicated that the search could continue for several days because of the volume of wreckage and the unstable conditions.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

The cause of the collapse remained under investigation, although officials confirmed that excavation work was underway at an adjoining vacant plot when the building came down.

New York City's Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers had been excavating the neighbouring site for a new development.

Investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including the construction activity and the structural condition of the affected building.

Officials had not established whether the excavation directly contributed to the disaster.

The adjoining building, which shared a wall with the collapsed structure, remained standing, but part of its exterior wall was torn away, exposing rooms and household belongings.

Building inspectors were assessing nearby properties to determine whether additional safety measures were required.

𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬

The collapse triggered distressing scenes as residents and relatives gathered near the disaster site seeking information about missing family members.

One resident, Anderson Velez, said he was at work when his wife telephoned him after becoming trapped beneath the debris with their two children, aged seven and two.

He said the call ended abruptly while his wife was pleading for help. All three were subsequently rescued alive.

Emergency workers continued removing debris methodically while searching for signs of life.

Authorities maintained restrictions around the affected area to allow emergency personnel to operate safely and prevent members of the public from entering the unstable site.

With the possibility of additional people remaining trapped, officials said rescue operations would continue while investigators worked to establish the circumstances that led to the deadly collapse.