A structure failure in Brooklyn, New York, has resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals and injured over 10 others, including minors, while emergency personnel persist in sifting through the debris for potential survivors.
The three-story apartment structure in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn collapsed around 4 pm on Wednesday, November 11, falling into a nearby construction site where excavation activities were being conducted.
Officials in New York City reported that 19 victims have been identified, which includes seven children, while the total number of individuals potentially trapped under the debris is still unknown.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that “at least two individuals lost their lives, while over 10 others were admitted to nearby hospitals with injuries that vary from critical to non-life-threatening.”
Lillian Bonsignore, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, revealed that “a firefighter incurred minor injuries during the rescue operation.”
The four-unit apartment structure, originating from 1930, fell into the adjacent construction area, as stated by Fire Department Chief John Esposito.
He stated that the “reason for the collapse was being examined, noting that officials could not immediately ascertain how many residents or laborers were present at the location when it happened.”
Officials reported that a firefighting team present in the area reached the site within a minute of the collapse and assisted in rescuing the initial victims from the rubble.
Television images captured rescue teams employing search dogs to sift through the wreckage while clearing debris in buckets to find individuals who could be trapped in areas under the rubble.
US television station WABC-TV stated that a minimum of “four survivors were rescued from the debris two to two-and-a-half hours following the collapse, one of whom was pregnant.”
Esposito, however, cautioned that the search effort might last several days.
He mentioned, “Rescue teams will need several days to search the entire area for all possible victims,” and added, “We are unaware of the total number of missing individuals.”
The Fire Department initially stated that four individuals were severely injured and six others incurred minor injuries before the first two survivors were saved.
Officials had not yet determined the total number of individuals impacted by the collapse while rescue efforts were ongoing.
