Nov. 11 (UPI) — A three-story building in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn collapsed Wednesday afternoon, killing at least two people and injuring at least 10, officials said.
FDNY members continue to operate at a major technical rescue in Brooklyn. https://t.co/vm1ME9VCAx— FDNY (@FDNY) November 11, 2026
As of 8:30 p.m. ET, officials did not have a full account of how many people were still trapped, CNN reported. Fire officials said the situation is unstable, with concerns about a secondary collapse at the site.
“The adjoining building that remains partially intact is always a danger,” said John Esposito, New York Fire Department Chief of Department. “Where main concern is a secondary collapse, we’ve taken measures to keep an eye on that and try to ensure that there is no further collapse.”
Esposito said police and fire department dogs are helping in the search for other victims.
City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said the search and rescue operations have been “extremely dangerous.”
“The units are performing dangerous and heroic work,” Bonsignore said. “They encounter dangerous and perilous conditions, working as teams to remove debris carefully, as to not injure the patients or themselves.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference Wednesday evening that he is “heartbroken” about the tragedy and asked people to pray for those who died, their families and those who were injured.
Mamdani said the scene is “incredibly challenging” for rescuers and thanked first responders for their quick response.
“This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving sitution, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface,” he said.
The building on Bedford Avenue in Flatbush collapsed into an adjacent construction and excavation site, News 12 Brooklyn reported. It said at least 10 people were taken to the hospital, with four of them in critical condition. Rescuers pulled several people from the rubble, including a pregnant woman whose husband told reporters she was alive.
The area is largely residential. The building held a store at ground level and at least one apartment upstairs, CNN said.
The New York Fire Department called the effort “a major technical rescue response” and asked people to avoid the area.
In another post, city emergency management said it and the Red Cross have opened a reception center for residents of the building at the Flatbush YMCA.
The city Department of Buildings said it is investigating the collapse. Department records show that it issued a violation notice to the adjacent construction site in April for unlawfully continuing work while under an order from the department to stop. The site was under demolition at that time. The violation was resolved in October, with the contractor paying $10,000 in penalties, CNN said.
Responders used drones to help search the site, turning to flashlights as the scene grew dark.
Earlier, Mamdani reiterated the request for people to avoid the area.
“As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts,” Mamdani said in a social media post.
New York City Council member Farah N. Louis said her team is working to reach affected families to provide support.
“Images from the scene are heartbreaking,” Louis said in a statement. “We are devastated to learn that at least one life has been lost.”
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