Brooklyn building collapse kills one and leaves four critically injured
A three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood at about 4pm on Wednesday, killing one person and leaving four others in critical condition. Six additional people were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Firefighters spent hours searching the wreckage for survivors, using rescue dogs, a drone and hand tools as they worked through bricks, timber and other debris. At least one person was pulled from the rubble and carried away on a stretcher.
The building stood beside a construction site where a one-story structure had been demolished and the ground excavated. When the adjacent building fell, much of it dropped into the construction pit, complicating the rescue operation. A neighboring building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, but part of its wall was stripped away, exposing rooms, including a bedroom and closets containing clothing.
Dozens of firefighters continued working under floodlights and flashlights after darkness fell. City records identified an architect, property owner and general contractor as being connected with the project; messages seeking comment were left with them.
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