A partial collapse at a three-story building in Flatbush, Brooklyn, killed one person and injured 12 others on Wednesday, ABC News reported. Emergency personnel worked to reach people in the rubble, while city officials assessed the structural stability of buildings near the collapse site.
Officials said at least six people were in critical condition. Another six suffered minor injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. The New York City Fire Department said the collapse happened shortly after 4 p.m., with a portion of the building falling into an open construction site.
The New York City Department of Buildings said in a post on X that inspectors had arrived at the scene near Flatbush Avenue. Their work included assisting recovery operations and checking surrounding buildings for structural stability as authorities responded to the collapse.
Police urged members of the public to stay away from the surrounding area. The New York Police Department also warned that street closures and traffic delays would affect the vicinity of the site, where emergency personnel were responding to the incident.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed sympathy for the victim’s family in a post on X following the collapse. She said she was thinking of the family and praying for everyone affected. Hochul also said her administration had contacted authorities and offered its full support as they investigated what had happened.
New York City Council Member Farah Louis, who represents Flatbush, described images from the scene as “heartbreaking,” according to ABC News. In a statement, she expressed devastation over the reported death and injuries, and said multiple people had been reported trapped while emergency personnel worked to reach those in the rubble.
Louis said the safety of everyone affected was her immediate priority. She added that her team was working to contact families impacted by the collapse so they could receive essential information and support during what she described as a frightening time.
The accounts from city agencies and elected officials described both the effort to reach people at the site and checks on nearby structures. Recovery operations and the investigation into what happened were continuing, with the incident remaining a developing story.
