Eight people have died and 17 others were injured after a partial building collapse in Flatbush, Brooklyn, as firefighters discovered additional victims in the rubble Thursday morning, Nov. 12, according to ABC7.
The collapse occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 1321 Flatbush Ave. Part of the building fell into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave., where workers were present at the time.
According to The New York Times, the collapse sheared off a wall of an adjacent building, exposing a staircase, bedroom and closets to the open air.
Patricia Starek, who has lived in Flatbush for 26 years, was waiting for her son to return home when she noticed helicopters circling the scene, the BBC reported.
“How does a building just fall into a pit?” Starek asked. “We all live here with the assumption that stairs are stable, floors are stable, that you can be on your third floor and not have the earth fall below you.”
The cause of the collapse remains unknown.
Rescue crews pulled victims from the debris Wednesday evening, including several children and a pregnant woman.
Early Thursday morning, crews recovered at least four additional bodies from the rubble, using search-and-rescue dogs to help navigate the debris.
About 250 firefighters responded to the scene, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
“I want to ask New Yorkers to please take a moment to pray for those who passed away today and all of those who are mourning their loss,” Mamdani said during an emergency news conference following the collapse.
U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, who represents Flatbush and surrounding neighborhoods, said her staff was closely monitoring the situation and remained in communication with first responders and Community Board 17.
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, particularly those trapped beneath the rubble and their loved ones as they endure this difficult and uncertain time,” Clarke said in a statement.
About 100 buildings in the area surrounding the collapse were without water as emergency crews continued rescue and recovery operations, CNN reported.
As of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, Department of Buildings personnel were at the scene investigating the fatal collapse, according to CNN.
