Search for Survivors Continues After Brooklyn Building Collapse

Two people are dead and 17 others injured after a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn collapsed into an open excavation site on Wednesday afternoon, drawing more than 250 first responders that drew more than 250 first responders.

Emergency Rescue Operations and Casualties in Flatbush

The structural failure occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Seven children were among the 19 total patients treated by medical personnel. Four victims remained hospitalized in critical condition. Twelve were listed in stable condition, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries.

Search-and-rescue teams deployed K-9 units, drones, and manual digging equipment as operations stretched into the night. New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore described the mission as “extremely dangerous” due to the instability of the remaining structures.

“Members have been working methodically and haven’t stopped since they arrived this afternoon,” Bonsignore said.

Lillian Bonsignore, New York City Fire Department Commissioner

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that units arrived in under a minute after the initial 911 call at 4:01 p.m. Chief John Esposito said that the unit moved to search-and-rescue tasks after changing direction from a nearby incident where they had just been responding.

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said that responders did not know how many people had been inside the structure when it fell or whether everyone was accounted for. Officials said that rescue operations would likely continue for days.

“This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a Wednesday evening news conference, announcing the initial fatalities. One of the victims killed was identified by his brother as Jose Luis Caguana, a 26-year-old immigrant from Ecuador who had been in the U.S. for about six years.

Firefighters hoisting debris later managed to pull a dust-covered survivor from a hole in the wreckage at about 6:30 p.m., transferring the person to a waiting stretcher and ambulance.

A 96-Year-Old Building Collapsed Near an Active Excavation Site

City records show the collapsed structure was a 96-year-old building erected in 1930 that housed four residential units and commercial space, including a medical-uniforms store on the ground floor. The adjacent site at 2625 Bedford Avenue had been undergoing excavation for months. The project was owned by entities linked to Robert Fischman, Judy Swimer, and Faigy Fischman, who purchased the property for $4 million in 2024.

Department of Buildings records indicate the construction site had previously received a summons in April for carrying out demolition work while under a stop-work order. That violation was resolved after the contractor paid a $10,000 penalty. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said that construction workers had been excavating at the neighboring site at the time of the collapse.

Glenn Corbett, a construction safety expert at John Jay College who has not investigated the site, said that excavation work near older structures can present stability concerns.

Red Cross and Local Churches Assist Displaced Families

The American Red Cross and the New York City Emergency Management Department established a reception center at the Flatbush YMCA, located at 1401 Flatbush Avenue, to assist displaced families.

Local religious institutions also opened their doors, with the Bethesda Church of God in Christ offering shelter and prayer to families awaiting news. Governor Kathy Hochul released a public statement sharing her concern for all those impacted.

City Department of Buildings inspectors maintained a presence at the site to evaluate structural integrity in the surrounding area and aid in recovery efforts assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings.

City officials urged anyone unable to reach loved ones potentially affected by the disaster to call 311, or 212-639-9675 for callers outside New York City.