One person died and 12 others were hurt — six critically — after a building collapsed at the edge of a construction site in New York City, a senior official said, sparking a frantic search by firefighters combing through large piles of rubble.
The collapse occurred around 4 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Bedford and Flatbush avenues in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said. It was not known what caused or led up to it.
The FDNY said two people were removed from the rubble soon after the collapse. Arial footage showed dozens of firefighters scouring for others, with at least two who were trapped in the wreckage. A senior city official later said those two were in the process of being freed just before 5 p.m.
One person died and six were in critical condition as a result of the collapse, according to FDNY officials. Six others suffered less serious injuries, the FDNY said.
Video from NBC New York’s Chopper 4 showed firefighters pull an injured person from the rubble around 4:45 p.m. He was taken away on a stretcher. Another person was seen being taken away on a stretcher just after 6:30 p.m.
The building that collapsed appeared to have been three stories tall, with a business on the ground floor. It was located next to an excavation site after a one-story building that had previously been there was fully demolished.
The collapsed building filled the construction pit with bricks and wood.
Another building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, but its wall was shorn off, exposing the rooms inside, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management advised people avoid the area, as traffic delays and road closures were expected.
A drone hovered over the site as firefighters dug by hand, tossing chunks of rubble aside. Rescuers also used dogs to sniff for survivors.
As darkness fell, firefighters used flashlights to illuminate the area where they worked. The senior city official said rescue operations were ongoing, with searches still being conducted.
Phone and email messages seeking comment were left with the architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records as being associated with the construction project.
Multiple teams responded to the scene. An investigation into the collapse is ongoing.
The Department of Buildings said inspectors were at the scene to assist with recovery operations and to conduct structural stability inspections of surrounding buildings.
