The death toll from the collapse of a three-storey building in Brooklyn has risen to eight, New York City officials said on Thursday, as rescue teams kept searching the rubble for more victims.
At least 19 people were injured, including seven children, and four were in critical condition, the New York City Fire Department said.
The building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighbourhood came down at about 4pm on Wednesday, falling into an excavation pit at the construction site next door.
01. What happened
Six bodies were pulled from the rubble overnight, and two more people died after being taken to hospital, officials said. The death toll was two on Wednesday night.
About 250 firefighters worked through the night and into Thursday. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said it was not clear how many people were still in the collapse zone, and warned the search could take several days.
At least four survivors were pulled from the wreckage within a few hours of the collapse, including a pregnant woman, local television station WABC reported.
02. What caused the collapse
The cause has not been established. The city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement officials are investigating.
Construction workers were carrying out excavation work at the site next door, at 2625 Bedford Avenue, when the 1930s-era apartment building fell. Officials have not said whether the excavation work caused the collapse.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was “heartbroken” that eight New Yorkers had lost their lives, and urged people to avoid the area. The number of victims could still rise, officials warned, because it is not known how many people were in the building and at the site when it came down.
Earlier: Two killed, 17 injured in Brooklyn building collapse
