Brooklyn Building Collapse Kills Two, Injures 17 Others

Two people died and 17 others sustained injuries when a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue collapsed into an open construction site in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon.

The sudden collapse occurred around 4 p.m. The mixed-use structure housed a ground-floor business and several apartments. It fell into an adjacent excavation pit at 2625 Bedford Avenue. Approximately 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded immediately. K-9 units from the New York City Police Department and the Fire Department of the City of New York joined them.

Emergency Rescuers Search Brooklyn Rubble

Seven children were among the injured victims according to the FDNY. Four individuals suffered critical injuries. One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the rescue operations.

Emergency responders pulled multiple survivors from the unstable debris. Aerial video showed a pregnant woman being transported away on a stretcher.

Emergency crews worked through the evening under flashlights and hovering drones. They searched hazardous voids beneath the surface of the rubble. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said the site was fragile during a press briefing.

This is such a very fragile situation here…We’ll continue to look until we find everybody. And we work in collaboration with NYPD to see if there’s any missing reports. We all work together to try to determine how many people are still to be found.

Lillian Bonsignore, FDNY Commissioner

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said emergency personnel faced challenges at the scene.

“The numbers may change as the work continues,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface.

Zohran Mamdani, Mayor

City Inspects Demolished Construction Site

The collapsed building stood directly beside an excavation site. A one-story structure had been fully demolished there.

Department of Buildings records showed active excavation work was underway at the time of the collapse. Approved plans existed to construct a new three-story building at the site. Additional proposals for a nine-story structure had also been submitted but remained unapproved.

Inspectors from the Department of Buildings deployed to the location. They assisted with recovery efforts and performed structural stability checks on surrounding properties.

A neighboring building sharing a wall with the collapsed structure suffered severe exterior damage. Interior rooms—including bedrooms and closets filled with clothing—stood exposed to the open air.

Families Mourn Victims of Collapse

Relatives and officials confirmed that the tragedy claimed the life of 26-year-old Jose Luis Caguana. He was an immigrant from Ecuador who had lived in the United States for six years and worked in construction to support his family. His brother, Carlos, said the family felt deep grief in an interview.

Her husband has passed away; he was the sole provider for the family. Now that he’s gone, she is going through an immense amount of pain. She is in a very bad state right now — she’s completely overwhelmed and can’t even find the words to speak.

Carlos Caguana, via News 4

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said a statement on social media expressing condolences to the victims’ families.

My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. I’m keeping them in my thoughts and praying for everyone affected. My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.

Kathy Hochul, New York Governor

The New York City Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross established an emergency reception center at the Flatbush YMCA to support displaced residents. By late Wednesday evening, the Red Cross reported that six households comprising 11 adults and two children had registered for emergency assistance, while authorities kept Flatbush Avenue closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue.

Earlier coverage: Search for Survivors Continues After Brooklyn Building Collapse