Two children and six adults, including two construction workers, were killed as a three-story apartment building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a midday news conference on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Six victims died at the scene, Mamdani said, while two others died in nearby hospitals. The New York Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY that six adults in their 20s and early 30s, a 9-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were among the dead.
Eighteen people − 14 civilians and four firefighters − were injured as a result of the collapse that occurred at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
The New York City Fire Department announced on social media that rescue operations concluded at 3:37 p.m. ET on Thursday and that it had determined that there are “no more victims” at the site.
Mamdani said the “vast majority of those still being treated in hospitals are in stable condition,” and one person is in critical condition. Officials warned that the death toll may still rise.
The building collapsed into an adjacent construction site at about 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 11, trapping residents and construction workers beneath the debris. A full vacate order has been issued for the fallen building, in addition to three other buildings − at 1323, 1325 and 1327 Flatbush Avenue − Mamdani said.
City records indicate the building had a long history of hazardous violations, stretching back to 1972. Of the 98 violations, 21 are Class C or “immediately hazardous” violations for issues including peeling lead paint, a leaking roof and unsafe electrical wiring.
The vacate order for the building on the New York City’s Department of Buildings website had said the collapse was due to “unsafe construction operations at the adjacent property, 2625 Bedford Avenue.” By Thursday afternoon, the site no longer contained that language.
USA TODAY has contacted the Department of Buildings for comment about the update.
American Red Cross has registered seven households, consisting of 14 adults and five children, for “emergency assistance including temporary lodging,” spokesperson Stephanie Fox said in an email to USA TODAY on Nov. 12.
Fox said the organization, “together with New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM),” opened a service center at 9 a.m. ET at the YMCA Flatbush “to continue to support the residents affected by the building collapse.” A NYCEM spokesperson said the center will be open until 6 p.m.
“At the center, residents are able to connect with government and nonprofit agencies for support,” she added.
Mamdani, during Thursday’s press conference, added that “the city and the Red Cross are continuing to provide expanded services from the YMCA, including temporary housing for displaced residents, assistance with social services, and mental health support.”
World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés, announced that it will provide meals to first responders and families impacted by the collapse.
Search operations conclude
More than 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded within a minute and began searching the wreckage for survivors. Rescue personnel operated overnight under “extremely dangerous conditions to find and save anyone who may still be trapped,” and work continued on Nov. 12, Mamdani said, advising the public to “please stay clear of the area.”
The New York City Fire Department, in an update the morning of Nov. 12, said its “units continue to operate Thursday morning at the site of a building collapse.”
Visuals and photos from the site show that much of the debris from the collapsed building fell into a hole in the ground, part of the nearby construction site. Dozens of first responders swarmed the site and used ladders to descend down piles of dirt into the debris, video footage showed. K9s were also seen sniffing through the rubble for survivors and victims.
FDNY Chief John Esposito said in a news conference the night of the collapse that authorities did not know how many people were missing at the time and noted that the massive search operation could take “several days.”
Thursday afternoon, the department announced the completion of rescue operations. The collapse site has been turned over to the Department of Buildings and the New York Police Department.
Officials cautioned that the number of victims could change.
“There are no words for a loss of this magnitude,” Mamdani said. “My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we have lost, those who are injured and everyone grieving today.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on social media that her “heart breaks” for the victims and that the state will offer “full support” to the investigation.
How did the Brooklyn building collapse?
While Mamdani previously said that the city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies would investigate what caused the deadly collapse, the New York City Department of Buildings, on its website, said the collapse was “caused by unsafe construction operations at the adjacent property.” Authorities added that the entire building is “unsafe to enter and/or occupy.”
“A tragedy of this magnitude demands a comprehensive and thorough investigation that includes both the construction site and the building which collapsed,” Mamdani said during the press conference. “That has already begun with the Department of Buildings and law enforcement leading it. We will find out what happened, and we will share that information with New Yorkers.”
He added that the Department of Buildings had identified five entities associated with the construction site.
“Those five entities are associated with 100 other sites across the city. The Department of Buildings is commencing sweeps of those sites to ensure that if there is anything New Yorkers need to be worried about, that we are on the scene, and we are doing something about it.”
USA TODAY has reached out to N Tech Design of America Corp., a construction company linked to the neighboring site in city records, for comment.
The fallen structure was a four-unit apartment building dating to 1930, Reuters reported. (USA Today)