The death toll from the collapse of a three-story building in Brooklyn, New York, has risen to two, while the number of injured stands at 19, according to the latest update from authorities. Four people are in critical condition, and the injured include seven children and a firefighter. More than 250 firefighters have been mobilized to search for survivors, with rescue teams working amid unstable rubble as there are fears of further collapse.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, describing the collapse that occurred on Wednesday afternoon (11/11) on Flatbus Avenue in Brooklyn as “catastrophic.”
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As he reported, the first fire crews arrived on the scene just one minute after the first call was made to the 911 emergency number.
BREAKING: 2 people killed and 19 injured, including 7 children, after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, according to officials. https://t.co/JdN33GmWEC
— Scope Report (@ScopeReport_) November 12, 2026
“It was an extremely difficult situation that was evolving very quickly, with unstable debris and dangerous voids beneath the surface,” said the mayor, describing the conditions of the operation.
Footage from television network helicopters shows hundreds of rescuers searching for survivors amid the rubble, even using special saws to cut through sections of the debris.
Video shows people beginning to emerge from the rubble after a building collapsed in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on Wednesday afternoon. https://t.co/lOUYlgIz3S
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 12, 2026
In striking images, firefighters pull a man from the rubble, place him on a stretcher, and carry him with great care, passing him from hand to hand to move him to safety.
A New York City husband cried tears of relief after he said his pregnant wife was pulled alive from the rubble of a building collapse in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood. At least two people were killed and over a dozen others were injured, authorities said Wednesday night, after a three-story building collapsed into an adjacent excavation site. A "dangerous" search and rescue operation continued into the night and there could be more victims, fire officials warned. Read more: https://t.co/M8kKD5RbRK
— ABC News (@ABC) November 12, 2026
Seven children and a firefighter are among the injured
The chief of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), Lillian Bonsignore, announced that the number of people who required medical attention totaled 19.
“This is an operation that will take a long time. The causes are under investigation. At this time—and this number may change—we have 19 patients,” she said.
Among the injured are seven children and one firefighter, while four people are in critical condition.
*WARNING: Some viewers may find this video disturbing* Watch as firefighters rescue a person out of the rubble after a building partially collapsed in Brooklyn, NY. Breaking News: https://t.co/u1lAQIWFLi https://t.co/ECgnK5071r
— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) November 11, 2026
It remains unknown how many people may still be trapped, as authorities continue to search every accessible part of the destroyed building.
The mayor of New York City called on the city’s residents to pray for the victims and their families.
“I want to ask New Yorkers to take a moment to pray for those who lost their lives today and for those mourning their loss, as well as for the swift and full recovery of all those injured,” he said.
At least two New Yorkers have died in a building collapse in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Search and rescue operations began just one minute after police were notified of the collapse, he said. At least 17 people are injured, including children and one firefighter with minor injuries. Four of the patients are in critical condition. https://t.co/8GvBJEEZJR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 12, 2026
Fears of a second collapse – Search efforts will continue for days
The rescue operation is considered particularly dangerous, as firefighters are required to navigate through unstable building materials and underground voids, with the risk of another collapse remaining very real.
The Fire Department’s chief of operations, John Esposito, stated that the first crews arrived at the scene while returning from another emergency and immediately began the operation.
“We continue to search every gap in the rubble for possible victims. We have already evacuated several people from the collapse site,” he said at a press conference.
Two people are dead and more than a dozen others are injured after a Brooklyn building collapse, as three search dogs look for signs of life beneath the debris. Firefighters have pulled back from the rubble as the dogs search the wreckage of the three-story building in Flatbush, with concerns that more people may be trapped. More than 250 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene. Download the Fox News app or go to https://t.co/gPHiho5zni for more.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 12, 2026
He warned that there is a risk of a second collapse, clarifying that firefighters will remain on site for several days until it is confirmed that no one else is trapped.
Bonsignore praised the firefighters’ work, describing their operations as “dangerous and heroic.”
As darkness fell, rescue crews deployed specially trained dogs and flashlights to continue searching through the rubble.
Work at the neighboring construction site and the causes of the collapse
The three-story building collapsed near a site where another structure had been demolished to make way for a construction project.
Next to the collapsed building is another property, which shared a common wall with it and remains standing but has been left exposed.
Images from the scene reveal bedrooms and closets full of clothes, visible from the street, as part of the exterior structure has been destroyed.
Although the collapse occurred next to a construction site, authorities have not yet officially determined the causes of the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, with priority given to locating any trapped individuals and stabilizing the dangerous sections of the buildings.
Source: Proto Thema
