At least six people were killed and more than a dozen others were hurt after a three-story building partially collapsed in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, and rescuers worked through the night and into Thursday morning searching the rubble for anyone still trapped.
The building came down just after 4 p.m. Wednesday at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, near Bedford Avenue, according to the New York City Fire Department. Much of it fell into an open construction site next door, where workers had been excavating a lot for a new building. Residents of the building and workers at the site were caught under the debris.
Two deaths were announced Wednesday evening. Firefighters then recovered more victims in the pre-dawn hours Thursday, and the Associated Press reported the toll had reached six by Thursday morning. Some local outlets have reported higher numbers, and officials have warned the count could change as the search continues.
What we know so far
- Injuries: At least 17 people were taken to hospitals, according to the AP, and other reports put the number at 19. Four were in critical condition. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
- Children: Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said seven of the victims were children. Officials did not say whether any children were among those killed.
- Rescues: Several people were pulled from the debris Wednesday evening, including a pregnant woman whose husband told reporters she was alive.
- Response: About 250 firefighters and EMS workers responded. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said crews arrived within a minute of the first 911 call.
- Displaced families: The American Red Cross said it registered 11 adults and two children from six households for emergency help, including temporary lodging.
The building that collapsed was a mixed-use structure with a store on the ground floor and apartments above. A neighboring building at 1323 Flatbush Avenue stayed standing, but the wall it shared with the collapsed building was sheared away, leaving apartments open to the air.
A slow, dangerous search
Rescuers have been digging largely by hand, with search dogs and a drone, because heavy machinery could shift the unstable pile and endanger anyone still alive underneath. FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the search could take several days. Bonsignore called it a prolonged operation and said crews would keep looking until everyone is found.
Mamdani described the scene as having “precarious wreckage” and dangerous voids beneath the surface. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would offer its full support to the city and the investigation.
Weather could add to the challenge. Heavy rain was forecast for Thursday afternoon, the AP reported, and it was not clear how it would affect the search. Upstormed News has been tracking this week’s stormy pattern in the Northeast: Nor’easter to bring first snow, coldest air since spring to eastern U.S.
Questions about the construction site next door
Officials have not said what caused the collapse, and the Department of Buildings and police are investigating. Investigators have not determined what role, if any, the excavation next door played.
City records show the adjacent site, on Bedford Avenue, had active permits for excavation and foundation work, according to WPIX. The station reported that inspectors halted demolition there in March over inadequate protection for neighboring properties, cited the work again in April for allegedly continuing during a stop-work order, and lifted the order in May after conditions were corrected. The Department of Buildings has now issued a full stop-work order for the site. The architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records did not respond to requests for comment from the AP.
Why it matters for families
Building collapses are rare, but this one is a reminder that work on a neighboring lot can affect the homes around it. Tenants and homeowners who live next to active construction can:
- Look up the site’s permits and any complaints or violations through their city’s building department. In New York City, that is the Department of Buildings website or 311.
- Report new cracks in walls or ceilings, doors that suddenly stick, or shaking from nearby digging to the building department and to their landlord or building manager.
- Know two ways out of their home and keep a small go-bag with medicine, documents and phone chargers in case they must leave quickly.
Fires and other home emergencies can strike without warning too. Our guide to e-bike battery fire safety has more simple habits to keep a household safe.
What to watch next
The search and recovery will continue Thursday, and officials are expected to give updated numbers. Investigators will review records and conditions at both properties, and building inspectors are checking the stability of nearby structures. Streets around Flatbush and Bedford avenues remain closed, and police are asking people to avoid the area. A family reception center was set up at the Flatbush YMCA.
This is a developing story, and Upstormed News will follow it as officials release more information.
Read more: Lines grow at food pantries, and so do the helpers: Where Americans are finding hope
Do you live near a big construction project? Have you ever worried about what it means for your building? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: Associated Press via The Boston Globe, “Death toll rises to 6 in Brooklyn building collapse as rescuers dig through rubble” (November 12, 2026); USA Today, “Death toll rises in Brooklyn building collapse as search continues” (November 12, 2026); WABC-TV, “5 dead, 19 injured as firefighters search overnight after Flatbush building collapse” (November 12, 2026); WPIX, “Multiple dead after building collapses in Brooklyn: FDNY” (November 12, 2026); ABC News (Australia), “Brooklyn building collapse kills at least two with others trapped beneath debris” (November 12, 2026); CBS New York, “At least 6 killed, 19 hurt in Brooklyn building collapse, officials say” (November 11-12, 2026).
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