Brooklyn building collapse kills at least 2, leaves others trapped in rubble

At least 10 hospitalized, four critically, as rescue work continues for days

A three-story building collapsed Wednesday in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, killing at least two people and leaving others trapped beneath the wreckage. Dozens of firefighters dug through the debris into Wednesday night, at times using their hands or power saws, footage captured from a news channel’s helicopter showed.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a news conference that at least 10 people had been hospitalized on an urgent basis, including four who were in critical condition. Officials with the New York City Fire Department said search-and-rescue operations would continue for several days.

John Esposito, the department’s chief, said firefighters did not know how many people were missing.

Around 6:30 p.m., crews pulled one person from the rubble — covered in dust but alive and moving — placed the person on a stretcher and rushed them into an ambulance.

The building that fell was a mixed-use structure, with businesses in its lower portion and apartments above. It stood at one end of a lot where a one-story building had been demolished for a construction project, and the site was under excavation. The collapse filled the dug-out construction pit with bricks and wood.

The building next door remained standing, but the wall it shared with the collapsed structure came down with it, leaving interior rooms exposed — including a bedroom and closets full of clothes.

A drone stayed overhead as firefighters excavated by hand, tossing debris to one side. Rescue teams also used trained dogs to help locate survivors.

On social media, Mamdani asked residents to join in praying for neighbors and members of the community as emergency operations continued.

The architect, the owner and the general contractor listed in city records as associated with the construction project did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Anderson Velez, a resident of the collapsed building, 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 under the debris. Velez said he later learned that his family had been rescued and that all were alive.