A three‑story mixed‑use building in Brooklyn collapsed Wednesday evening, killing at least two and injuring 17, four critically, just after 4 p.m., according to the New York Times.
Demolition Site Under Investigation
The structure, built in 1930 and located at the corner of Bedford and Flatbush Avenues in Flatbush, housed a ground‑floor store and four apartments.
Rescue crews combed through exposed staircases, bedrooms and closets, searching brick by brick for survivors.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, addressed the scene, stating that at least two New Yorkers had died and more than ten were hospitalized with critical and non‑life‑threatening injuries.
“I am heartbroken to share that at this time at least two New Yorkers have passed away. More than ten New Yorkers have been transported to local hospitals for critical and non‑life‑threatening injuries,” Mamdani said. “I ask New Yorkers to pray for those who died, for the grieving, and for a fast, full recovery for the injured.”
Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn noted she knew a family of six that lived in the building and attended the block party annually.
First responders reported pulling a pregnant woman and a child from the debris, while witnesses described the chaotic scene.
The adjacent lot had been cleared for a planned development; in April the Department of Buildings cited the demolition contractor for violating a stop‑work order, and the contractor paid a $10,000 penalty in October.
It remains unclear whether the demolition work damaged the building that collapsed.
