NEW YORK (AP) — Firefighters early Thursday recovered the bodies of three more victims following the tragic collapse of a three-story building in Brooklyn, which had occurred at the edge of an active construction site. This latest recovery brought the confirmed death toll to five. Emergency responders continued to search through the debris, hoping to locate others who may still be trapped under the wreckage.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 17 individuals were hospitalized with various injuries, four of whom were reported in critical condition after the building collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. The New York City Fire Department validated the confirmed deaths, noting that two of the deceased were announced the previous day.
An extensive operation involving scores of firefighters and police officers was launched, with rescue teams utilizing pickaxes and power saws to navigate the rubble pile. First responders worked tirelessly throughout the night, systematically creating access points through the ruins in an effort to extract dust-covered victims from beneath mangled wood and brick.
Canine units were deployed to assist in the search for any potential survivors hidden in the debris. Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the media, stating, "This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface." He emphasized that this type of rescue operation is precisely what the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is trained for.
The reason behind the building's collapse remains under investigation. Still, New York City's buildings commissioner, Ahmed Tigani, indicated that, at the time of the incident, construction workers were excavating an adjacent empty lot for a development project. The remnants of the collapsed structure, identified as a mixed-use building with residential apartments above commercial space, largely fell into a substantial pit located within the construction site. A neighboring building, which shared a wall with the collapsed structure, remained upright but suffered significant damage, with its wall mostly removed, exposing interior rooms, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.
According to Mayor Mamdani, approximately 250 firefighters were actively engaged at the scene. Notably, one positive moment occurred on Wednesday night when rescuers successfully extracted a woman who was still alive from a hole they had created in the rubble. She was immediately transported to a waiting ambulance. Additional rescues followed as the night wore on.
Emergency officials also reported that seven of the victims involved in the incident were children, although it was not specified whether any of these children were among the deceased.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore characterized the rescue efforts as "dangerous and perilous," noting that every movement made by the teams was meticulously planned. Only one firefighter sustained minor injuries, as reported by fire department officials.
Attempts to reach the architect, property owner, and general contractor linked to the construction project via phone and email were unsuccessful as of Wednesday.
One resident of the collapsed building, Anderson Velez, shared his harrowing experience. While at work, he received a call from his wife, who was trapped inside the building with their two young children, ages 7 and 2. "She called me when the building collapsed while she was inside with rubble on top of her. She was screaming for someone to help get my son out, and then the call cut off," Velez recounted. Fortunately, he later learned that his family had been rescued alive from the wreckage.
