The death toll in a fatal building collapse in Brooklyn rose to at least six on Thursday, firefighters said, as rescuers continued to search the rubble for possible survivors.
At least 19 people were injured, including four people who were taken to hospital with serious injuries, firefighters said in a statement. The three-story building collapsed at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, falling into a hole created by a construction site on nearby land.
Firefighters said the search would likely continue for several days and they did not know how many people might still be missing. The building contained four apartments, with commercial space on the ground floor, according to city information.
Canine units, drones, helicopters and fire trucks were used in the search, along with excavation equipment, as the operation continued early Thursday. The interior of an adjacent building had a wall torn out by the collapse, leaving a staircase, bedroom and closets exposed to the open air.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the Department of Buildings and law enforcement would investigate the cause of the collapse. “This is an incredibly difficult and rapidly evolving situation,” Mamdani said Wednesday evening.
The ministry said the developers of the construction site adjacent to the collapsed building had an active permit for excavation and foundation work on the land. City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani told reporters that workers were excavating at the time of the collapse. A complete stop work order has been issued for the site.
There were still people on the sidewalk in the early hours of Thursday morning, watching in hopes of news.
“We hope that if there is someone in the rubble, they come out alive,” said the Rev. Alfred J. Joseph, 72, pastor of The Pool of Bethesda, a Pentecostal church across the street from the collapsed building. He mentioned earthquakes in Haiti and Venezuela, where people were found hours or even days later.
“You never know,” he said.
Here’s what else you need to know.
Street closures: Flatbush Avenue was closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue. Authorities asked people to avoid the area.
The building: The collapsed building housed a number of businesses over the decades, including a medical clothing store and a tax services office, according to city records. Learn more >
Nearby site: A one-story building was on the construction site next to the collapse. In March, the Department of Buildings ordered the owner to stop demolition work after finding that protection of neighboring properties was insufficient. The order was lifted entirely in August after the department found the project team had corrected the violations.
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