At least eight people died and 18 others were injured after a three-story Brooklyn apartment building collapsed into an adjacent construction pit at 1321 Flatbush Ave. on Wednesday.
Emergency workers and firefighters combed through massive piles of debris following the sudden collapse. The victims killed in the disaster include six adults and two children.
Victims of the Brooklyn Collapse
The eight people who lost their lives hailed from multiple countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Trinidad. Two of them were construction workers who were working next to the structure when it gave way. The Ecuadorian Consulate identified one of the deceased workers as 26-year-old José Luis Caguana Cosquillo. He left behind a pregnant wife and a young son.
“I will always carry him in my heart,” said Julio Caguana, describing his brother. “I spent this past Saturday with him watching sports. He was very good at playing soccer.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the tragedy during a press briefing. “This has been a devastating evening and morning for our city,” he said. “Eight of our fellow New Yorkers — six adults and two children — have died as a result of the three-story building collapse here at 1321 Flatbush Avenue.”
Eighteen other people sustained injuries in the collapse, including four firefighters. “The vast majority of those still being treated in hospitals are in stable condition,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a press conference. “One person is in critical condition.”
Glenn Corbett of John Jay College said determining the precise origin of the accident will require extensive evaluation. He said it is too early to know the exact cause and that issues “could be everywhere.” Corbett also explained that shoring used during excavation can experience failure if lateral pressure forces the support structure to move at a 45-degree angle, which can destabilize a neighboring property.
City Inspections at Construction Sites
Mamdani announced that the New York City Department of Buildings identified five entities associated with the construction site at 2625 Bedford Avenue. Those same entities are tied to roughly 100 other locations across the city. Inspectors launched immediate checks.
James Williams, an employee at a deli located across the street, recounted hearing continuous loud banging noises at the adjacent construction site throughout the day on Wednesday just moments before bricks began to fall and the structure gave way.
Collapsed Building Amassed 98 Violations Since 1972
Records from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development indicate that the 96-year-old collapsed apartment building amassed 98 violations dating back to 1972.
N Tech Design of America demolished a one-story building on the site there despite a stop-work order issued in March, according to a summons issued by the city in April.
Earlier coverage: Brooklyn Building Collapse Kills 8, 17 Injured, Officials Say