Three-storey building collapses in Brooklyn, at least one dead and several injured

What happened

On Wednesday, 11 November, a three-storey building collapsed in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, an area described as mostly residential. The first 911 call came in at 16:01 local time, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Reports put the collapse at about 16:00 local time, which is 22:00 in Italy. Outlets described the building differently: ANSA called it a building under construction, the Telegraph called it an apartment building, and AGI said at least one family lived in it. Firefighters were working in a construction pit near the junction of Flatbush and Bedford avenues.

Casualties and injuries

Adnkronos and ANSA report that one person died, and the Telegraph also reports one killed, with several construction workers hurt. The injury counts differ by source. Adnkronos and AGI describe two people taken to hospital with serious injuries, while the BBC, citing CBS News, and Correio da Manha report four injured, with at least one in critical condition. EL PAÍS, citing the FDNY, says four construction workers were taken to hospital, one of them critical. ANSA described all the victims as construction workers. Authorities were still trying to establish how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.

Rescue effort

According to BBC aerial video, dozens of first responders were searching the debris. ANSA reported that rescuers used drones and flashlights to aid the operation. EL PAÍS described footage of four firefighters carrying a victim on a stretcher out of a mound of rubble. The same BBC footage showed exposed bedrooms and stairwells in a neighbouring building after the collapse. Rescuers kept working as night fell, and the New York City Department of Buildings sent inspectors to help the search and check the structural stability of nearby buildings.

Agencies on scene

The FDNY is coordinating the search, and the Department of Buildings has inspectors at the site. According to ANSA, firefighters were in contact with one person still trapped under the rubble. AGI reported that other people could be among the debris, although the number was not specified. The BBC attributes its injury figures to CBS News, its US partner. Adnkronos cited CNN for its account of the cause.

Cause and open questions

CNN, as cited by Adnkronos, attributes the collapse to a construction site located next to the building. AGI reported that the cause was unclear at the time of its report. None of the articles quote an official explanation for the collapse. The number of people still trapped, the final casualty count and the number of workers on site had not been confirmed in the articles.