Two killed, 17 injured as building collapses in New York
At least two people have been killed and 17 others injured after a three-storey residential building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, triggering a major search and rescue operation.
The incident occurred at about 4pm on Wednesday in the Flatbush neighbourhood, where the building fell into an adjoining construction site undergoing excavation work.
New York City officials confirmed the fatalities, while the injured included seven children and a firefighter who sustained minor injuries.
Fire Department Commissioner, Lillian Bonsignore, said 19 people had been accounted for following the disaster. Four of the injured were in critical condition, while 12 others were stable.
Authorities, however, warned that the casualty figures could change as emergency workers continued searching the wreckage for possible survivors.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel were deployed to the scene. Rescue teams used search dogs, drones and specialised equipment to examine the debris and locate people who might have been trapped.
New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, described the incident as a devastating collapse, noting that emergency responders arrived promptly after receiving the first distress call.
A nearby firefighting crew reportedly reached the scene within a minute and immediately began rescuing people trapped in the damaged structures.
Among those rescued was a pregnant woman, whose husband was reportedly seen expressing relief after she was brought out alive.
The collapse also severely damaged an adjoining building, exposing parts of its interior, including bedrooms and other residential spaces.
Fire officials said the rescue operation would be prolonged because of the unstable condition of the wreckage and the danger of a possible secondary collapse.
The authorities have yet to establish the precise number of people who were inside the building or working at the adjoining construction site when the incident occurred.
The city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies have commenced investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
Excavation work was reportedly ongoing at the neighbouring construction site before the collapse, although officials have not established whether it contributed to the incident.
Rescue and recovery operations were expected to continue for several days.