A three-story building in Brooklyn has collapsed into a construction site, killing at least six people. Rescuers are still searching the unstable rubble, and officials warn it could take days.
At least six people have died after a three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday afternoon.
The building came down just after 4 p.m. at the corner of Flatbush and Bedford Avenues in Flatbush. It fell into a construction site next to it, where workers had been working earlier that same day. The side of the building next to it was torn off too, leaving apartments open to the street.
Nineteen people were injured, including seven children. Four of them are in critical condition. Two people were confirmed dead on Wednesday evening. Overnight, crews pulled four more bodies from the rubble, with the sixth found just after 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, ABC7 reports.
What caused the collapse is unknown as of now.
Searching through the wreckage
More than 250 firefighters, police officers and emergency workers dug through the debris by hand and with machines. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore warned that the work is far from over.
“This will be a prolonged operation. Collapse operations are extremely dangerous. Every move is choreographed and critically important to patient outcomes and member safety,” she said. Officials have said the search could take days, as the site is unstable and there is a risk of another collapse. It is still unclear whether anyone else is trapped.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the collapse “devastating.”
One husband’s huge relief
Among the people rushing to the scene was a man searching for his wife. He broke down in tears and had to be held up by bystanders when he arrived at the heartbreaking scene.
Then, in front of news cameras, he learned his wife had actually survived. “I’m very happy, she’s six months pregnant,” he said, visibly shaken.
Other families have not been as lucky. The victims have not been officially named, but one man told NBC News that his brother, 26-year-old Jose Luis Caguana, was among those killed.
According to his brother, Caguana had moved to the US from Ecuador and worked in construction to support his family. He had a young child, and his pregnant wife is expected to give birth to their second baby soon.
A Red Cross help center has been set up for residents affected by the collapse.
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