Three-Story Building Collapses in Brooklyn’s Flatbush, Killing 1
A three-story building in Flatbush, Brooklyn collapsed into an open construction site on Wednesday, November 11, killing one person and injuring others. Firefighters were still working to free a person trapped in the rubble, officials said, and police urged the public to avoid the area.
A three-story building collapsed in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday, November 11, killing at least one person and injuring several others in a building collapse in NYC. Firefighters were still working to free one person trapped in the rubble, officials said.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said the collapse happened just after 4 p.m. The building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. fell into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave.
"FDNY units are currently operating at a building collapse on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn," the department said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Casualties
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Two others were taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition.
Five more people were injured, according to officials. One of them was still under the rubble and talking with first responders.
A fire department official told reporters the building housed a store at ground level and at least one apartment upstairs. Flatbush is a largely residential part of central Brooklyn.
Rescue effort
Video from the scene showed firefighters pulling one victim from a mountain of debris. Four firefighters placed the person on a stretcher and carried them out.
Responders sent up drones to help with the search. As daylight faded, they used flashlights. Dozens of firefighters dug through the wreckage and sorted through the building's contents, the footage showed.
Aerial video from a news helicopter appeared to show the collapse had fully exposed rooms inside the building.
Street closures
Department of Buildings inspectors were at the scene. They were helping with recovery operations and checking the structural stability of nearby buildings.
The New York City Police Department asked the public to avoid the area around Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue. Drivers should expect street closures and delays and plan alternate routes, police said.
Officials described the operation as ongoing. They have not released the names of the victims.
