At least 2 dead, more than a dozen injured, including 7 children, in Flatbush building collapse
Emergency personnel responded to the three-story building collapse at 1321 Bedford Ave. just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. The structure collapsed into an adjacent construction and excavation site at 2625 Bedford Ave. Fire officials say a major technical rescue response is underway.
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At least two people are dead, and 17 others are hurt - including seven children - after a building collapsed in Flatbush, leaving multiple people trapped beneath the rubble, according to the FDNY.
Officials say 250 fire and EMS personnel responded to the collapse of a three-story building at 1321 Bedford Ave. just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. The structure crumbled into an adjacent construction and excavation site at 2625 Bedford Ave. Fire officials say a major technical rescue response followed.
News 12 cameras captured firefighters pulling multiple people from the ruins, including a pregnant woman. Her husband spoke with reporters after she was rescued.
"She is alive," he said through tears.
City officials held a press conference Wednesday night, thanking first responders and highlighting the gravity of the situation.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore gave an updated patient count of 19. The commissioner said two of those people have died while four others are listed in critical condition as of Wednesday night. One firefighter, who suffered minor injuries, was included in the patient count.
News 12's Julia Burns has the details of the collapse:
Officials stressed there could be more people rescued from the debris as the rescue operation persists.
"We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone, and this will be a prolonged operation," said Bonsignore.
Dogs from the NYPD and the FDNY are assisting first responders in the search through the massive pile of rubble.
News 12's Edric Robinson was on the scene of the collapse:
"We will be here for several days until this site is searched for all potential victims," the commissioner stated.
The collapse also affected the neighboring building, leaving it without an exterior wall and its interior exposed.
The commissioner noted the potential for a secondary collapse and said they have taken measures to prevent it.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Flatbush Avenue will remain closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue until further notice. He asked New Yorkers to continue avoiding the area as emergency response continues.
"I want to thank our city's first responders for their quick and professional response," said Mamdani. "This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface. This type of rescue is exactly what the FDNY trains for."
New York City Emergency Management said on X that it and the Red Cross opened a reception center for impacted residents at the Flatbush YMCA at 1401 Flatbush Ave.
According to public Department of Buildings records, the DOB issued the adjacent construction site a violation in April for unlawfully continuing work while under a stop-work order. The site was under demolition at the time.
The Department of Buildings says it is investigating the collapse.
Council Member Farah N. Louis released the following statement.
"I am responding to the scene at 2625 Bedford Avenue near Flatbush Avenue, where a tragic partial building collapse shortly after 4:00 p.m. has prompted a major FDNY technical rescue operation. Images from the site are heartbreaking. We are devastated to learn that at least one life has been lost, with multiple people reported trapped and several injured as emergency personnel work urgently to reach everyone in the rubble.
"I am in direct communication with FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore as firefighters, rescue crews, and EMS work around the clock to bring everyone out safely. My immediate priority is the safety of everyone impacted, and my team is actively working to reach affected families to connect them with critical information and support during this frightening time.
"My office and I are on the ground coordinating with FDNY, the Department of Buildings, and all relevant city agencies until every person is accounted for and we have clear answers on what caused this collapse."
Multiple New York elected officials posted about the collapse on X.
