At least eight people have died and 17 others have been injured after a three-storey building collapsed in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York City, triggering a major rescue operation.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday afternoon, November 11, near an active construction site. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the updated death toll on Thursday as emergency crews continued searching through the rubble for possible survivors.
The building, which housed commercial premises on the ground floor and residential apartments above, reportedly fell into an adjoining construction excavation site.
According to the Associated Press, approximately 250 firefighters and police officers took part in the rescue operation, using search dogs, power tools, pickaxes and other equipment to clear the debris.
Several people were rescued alive from the wreckage, including a woman who was found moving inside a small opening in the rubble. One resident also said his wife and two young children had been trapped when the building collapsed, but all three were later rescued.
At least three firefighters were among those injured, according to the latest report.
Authorities said the cause of the collapse remains under investigation. New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani disclosed that excavation work had been taking place on an adjacent empty lot when the building came down.
Mayor Mamdani expressed condolences to the victims’ families and those affected by the tragedy, while rescue teams continued their search amid concerns about the stability of the remaining debris.
