On top of a daylong rainstorm that turned into a thunderous night, New York is currently dealing with a major tragedy as eight people are confirmed dead after a three-story building collapsed into a construction site in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday evening.
As confirmed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, six bodies were recovered from the rubble and two later died at the hospital. Among those who perished, two were sadly children.
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According to ABC7 NY, the building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue fell into an open excavation at 2625 Bedford Ave. The Department of Buildings confirmed that a full stop-work order was issued by the developer, who has an active permit for excavation and foundation work, as investigators continue to investigate the cause. 18 others were injured in the collapse, with officials confirming no other victims after rescue operations concluded at the collapse site earlier today.
More details in this catastrophic event below, via ABC7 NY:
“Excavation work had been underway at the construction site, which has been approved for a three-story building, officials said. Plans for a nine-story, mixed-use building there had yet to be approved, officials said.
A stop work order has been issued for the neighboring construction site as search and rescue continues, according to the Department of Buildings (DOB).
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation by the DOB and law enforcement, authorities said.
‘We will find out what happened, and we will share that information with New Yorkers,’ Mamdani said Thursday.”
Mayor Mamdani also confirmed that vacate orders are in place for three buildings closest to the collapse. He also will be instructing sweeps on the sites of five entities involved with the construction site, which are also associated with approximately 100 other sites across New York City.
“We will find out what happened, and we will share that information with New Yorkers,” says Mamdani.
Our hearts are with all those affected by this shocking catastrophe. Anyone looking to help is encouraged to make donations at https://nyc.gov/site/fund/index.page and selecting “Emergency Relief Fund” from the dropdown menu.