Two killed, 17 injured in New York building collapse (VIDEOS)
At least two people were killed and 17 others injured when a three-story building collapsed into an adjacent construction site in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, according to city fire officials. Four of the injured remain in critical condition.
Rescue crews continued to search the rubble on Thursday amid concerns that additional victims could remain trapped. Officials said the operation could take several days due to unstable conditions and the risk of a secondary collapse.
According to WNBC, the collapse occurred around 4 PM near the intersection of Bedford and Flatbush avenues in Brooklyn.
The three-story building, which housed a ground-floor store and apartments above, collapsed into an adjacent construction site where a one-story building was demolished. A nine-story residential and commercial development, comprising 64 apartments, a grocery store, and a medical center, was planned for the site.
At least two dead, nineteen injured after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York. https://t.co/tH4RYOLKCR
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 12, 2026
According to local media reports, witnesses described hearing an explosion-like noise as the building collapsed, sending thick clouds of dust across the street. One nearby resident compared the scene to the September 11 attacks. The husband of a pregnant woman trapped beneath the rubble celebrated after firefighters pulled her out alive.
A husband cried tears of relief after he said his pregnant wife was pulled from Brooklyn collapse rubble and is alive. https://t.co/hU9jlU25A4
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 12, 2026
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel are working at the scene. “This will be a prolonged operation,” New York City Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. “Members have been working methodically and haven’t stopped since they arrived this afternoon.”
“My heart is with the families and loved ones mourning those we have lost. I am also wishing a full and speedy recovery to everyone who was injured,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on X.
CNN, citing city records, reported that a demolition contractor working at the adjacent construction site was fined $10,000 for continuing work despite a stop-work order. The violation was resolved in October. The authorities have not established whether the construction contributed to the collapse.
