Brooklyn building collapse kills one as firefighters search rubble

A three-story building collapsed beside an excavated construction site in Brooklyn on Wednesday, killing one person and sending firefighters into a pile of bricks and wood to search for others trapped beneath it.

The collapse happened around 4 p.m. near Bedford and Flatbush avenues in the Flatbush neighborhood, the New York City Fire Department said. The cause was not known, and an investigation was underway.

The fire department gave differing injury counts in the two accounts. NBC News reported that FDNY officials said six people were critically injured and six others had less serious injuries. The Guardian reported that the department said four people were taken to a hospital in critical condition and six more were hospitalized with minor injuries. Both outlets reported one death.

Firefighters removed two people from the rubble soon after the collapse, according to the FDNY account cited by NBC News. A senior city official told NBC News that two other people seen trapped in the wreckage were being freed shortly before 5 p.m. Rescue crews continued searching as darkness fell.

Helicopter footage showed dozens of firefighters working across the debris. NBC News reported that its aerial video showed rescuers pulling an injured person from the wreckage around 4:45 p.m. and taking him away on a stretcher. Another person was carried away on a stretcher just after 6:30 p.m., the outlet reported. The Guardian said footage showed a group of firefighters concentrating on one area and appearing to use a saw to cut through the debris.

The collapsed building stood at the edge of a lot where a one-story building had been demolished for a construction project. Crews had excavated the site, and the fallen structure filled the pit with rubble. NBC News reported that the building appeared to have a business on its ground floor.

A neighboring building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, but part of its wall was torn away. Rooms inside were exposed, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.

At the scene, firefighters dug by hand and tossed aside chunks of debris. A drone hovered overhead while rescue dogs searched for survivors. As daylight faded, crews used flashlights to continue their work.

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management urged people to avoid the area because of expected road closures and traffic delays, NBC News reported. The city’s Department of Buildings said inspectors were assisting recovery crews and checking the structural stability of surrounding buildings.

Phone and email messages seeking comment were left with the architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records for the construction project. No cause of the collapse had been announced.