Officials confirmed on November 12, 2026, that two children were among the eight people killed after an apartment building in Brooklyn collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, the most populous borough of New York City, and has triggered a massive emergency response that is still ongoing.
New York City Fire Department crews remained in rescue mode more than twenty hours after the structure gave way. In addition to the eight fatalities, eighteen people were injured, including four firefighters and fourteen civilians. One of the injured civilians is currently listed in critical condition, while the others are recovering in hospitals across the city.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore addressed reporters at the scene, emphasizing that the operation has not yet shifted to a recovery phase. She stated that the department will remain at the site until they are absolutely certain that no more people are trapped. Bonsignore noted that the steady rain falling on the city could hinder efforts, but she insisted that the crews are trained extensively for such emergencies and will not stop working until everyone is rescued or recovered.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited victims at the hospital before meeting with the press. He described the past day as a dark time for the city, noting that the community is mourning the loss of loved ones. Mamdani said that the city would grieve and rebuild together. He also announced that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted by the city’s buildings department to determine the cause of the collapse.
According to the mayor, six of the eight victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two died at the hospital. Among the deceased adults were two construction workers. The collapsed structure was a three-story building that housed a business on the ground floor and residential units on the upper levels. It was located next to an excavation site where a single-floor building had recently been cleared.
Mamdani revealed that five main entities were connected to the nearby excavation project. These companies had crews working at approximately one hundred construction sites across New York City. In response, the Department of Buildings began sweeps of those sites on Thursday to ensure safety. The mayor stated that the city would share information about the investigation with New Yorkers as it becomes available.
Rescue operations are utilizing heavier excavation equipment on Thursday to locate potential survivors or bodies beneath the larger debris. Bonsignore explained that the team assumes more people may be trapped until they can access the ground level and search beneath the heavy rubble. The ongoing search has also impacted the surrounding neighborhood, with water mains to one hundred nearby buildings shut down to allow emergency crews to continue their work.
Traffic on Flatbush Avenue remains closed between Clarendon Road and Bedford Avenue, and five bus lines have been rerouted. While some residents displaced by the collapse have been allowed back into their homes, three buildings are still under vacate orders. Much of the neighborhood remains disrupted as the city works to stabilize the area and support those affected.
In a poignant remark, the mayor honored the victims, describing them as friends, neighbors, and young families building lives in the city. He noted that the deceased included immigrants from Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Trinidad. He urged the public to hold close those in grief and to pray for a rapid recovery for every injured New Yorker.
