At least two people have been killed and 17 others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters pulled survivors alive from the rubble hours after the collapse, and the search is expected to continue for several days.

01. Key takeaways

  • Two people died at the scene; 17 others were injured, including four in critical condition.
  • The building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue collapsed into an excavation site next door just after 4pm on Wednesday.
  • Rescuers pulled at least four survivors from the rubble, including a pregnant woman and a mother with two young children.
  • About 250 firefighters and emergency workers are at the scene; the cause is still under investigation.

02. What happened

The mixed-use building, with apartments above ground-floor businesses, fell into the open excavation of a construction site next door at 2625 Bedford Avenue, in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighbourhood. The collapse sheared off the wall of an adjacent building, leaving a staircase, bed and closets exposed.

New York City’s fire department said it treated 19 patients in all, including the two people who died. Seven children were among the victims. The names of the two people who died had not been released.

03. Rescue efforts

Scores of firefighters and police officers worked through the evening, digging through the debris with pickaxes and power saws. About two and a half hours after the collapse, rescuers pulled a dust-covered survivor alive from a hole they had dug into the rubble and carried the person out on a stretcher.

Among those rescued was a pregnant woman whose husband had been waiting behind the police tape for news. Resident Anderson Velez told the New York Post his wife had called him from beneath the debris with their two children, aged seven and two; all three were later pulled from the wreckage alive.

Fire Department Chief of Department John Esposito said the search could take several days and officials could not yet say whether anyone was still trapped. Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited the scene and described the rescue operation as extremely difficult because of the unstable debris.

04. What caused the collapse?

The cause has not yet been determined, and the city’s Department of Buildings is investigating. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani noted that construction workers were excavating an empty lot next door for a new building when the collapse happened.

This is a developing story. Read our earlier report on the collapse here.

05. Brooklyn building collapse: key facts

Where 1321 Flatbush Avenue, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York
When Just after 4pm, Wednesday 11 November 2026
Deaths 2
Injured 17, including four in critical condition
Rescue teams About 250 firefighters and emergency workers
Cause Under investigation

06. FAQs

How many people died in the Brooklyn building collapse?

At least two people died, and both were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

How many people were injured?

At least 17 people were injured, including four in critical condition. The fire department said it treated 19 patients in all, including the two who died.

What caused the building to collapse?

The cause is still under investigation. The building fell into an excavation site next door, where workers were digging for a new building, and the Department of Buildings is examining what happened.