At least one person died and ten others were hospitalized after a three-story building collapsed beside a construction site in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood on Wednesday. Firefighters responded around 4 p.m. and searched through debris for people trapped beneath the structure.
The fire department reported that four people were taken to hospitals in critical condition. Six others were hospitalized with minor injuries. Aerial footage showed firefighters pulling at least one person from the rubble and carrying them away on a stretcher. Dozens of responders could be seen searching the debris.
The collapsed building stood beside a lot where a one-story structure had been demolished for a construction project. Excavation was underway at the site. When the three-story building fell, bricks and wood filled the construction pit. The report did not establish what caused the collapse or identify those killed or injured.
An adjoining building remained standing, although a shared wall had been torn away. The damage exposed interior rooms, including a bedroom and closets containing clothing. Images from the scene showed the open side of the neighboring structure beside the rubble, while emergency crews continued working around the collapsed building.
Rescuers searched by hand, moving pieces of debris as a drone hovered overhead. Search dogs were also used to look for survivors. Helicopter footage showed a group of firefighters concentrating on one section of the wreckage and apparently using a saw. As darkness fell, crews used flashlights to illuminate their work.
Phone and email messages seeking comment were left with the architect, property owner and general contractor identified in city records as associated with the construction project. The supplied report included no responses from those parties. It also did not specify how many people remained trapped beneath the wreckage or provide further details about the status of the ongoing rescue operation.