A three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood on Wednesday, November 11, killing at least two people and injuring 19 others, including seven children, officials said. Emergency crews were still searching the wreckage for possible survivors, with the number of people potentially trapped and the cause of the collapse unknown.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore provided the updated casualty count, reporting that four people were critically injured and 12 were in stable condition. A firefighter sustained minor injuries while responding to the emergency. The latest figures followed an earlier FDNY report to Fox News Digital that one unidentified person had died.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a 911 call about the collapse at 1321 Flatbush Avenue reached the FDNY at 4:01 p.m. Firefighters arrived within a minute and began searching for people in the debris. At an evening news conference, Mamdani expressed heartbreak as he confirmed that at least two New Yorkers had died.
More than 250 fire and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene. Firefighters and police were using K-9 units to help search the rubble, and officials said crews could remain there for several days as they looked for possible victims.
The rescue effort was complicated by concerns that more of the structure could come down. FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito described the work as an "extremely dangerous operation for all of our people." He said an adjoining building that remained partly intact posed an ongoing threat, with a secondary collapse the main concern.
Inspectors from the city's Department of Buildings were supporting recovery work and checking the structural stability of surrounding buildings. Meanwhile, the NYPD advised that traffic delays and street closures were affecting the area as emergency operations continued.
Mamdani urged residents to stay away so responders could carry out their work. In a social media post, he said Flatbush Avenue was closed between Clarendon Road and Bedford Avenue and that officials would release additional information once it had been confirmed.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams expressed concern for anyone trapped, the responders attempting to reach them and affected families. Gov. Kathy Hochul said her office had contacted authorities and offered full support as they investigated the collapse. The city's Emergency Management office also opened a nearby reception center with the Red Cross for residents affected by the emergency.
