Rescue operations intensify after Brooklyn building collapse kills one, injures 12

A three-story mixed-use building in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn collapsed around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, killing at least one person and injuring 12 others, six of them critically, a fire department official said. The structure, which housed a ground-level store and apartments above, fell into an adjacent construction site, prompting a massive emergency response.

By 7 p.m., roughly 250 firefighters and EMS personnel were on scene, working with flashlights as daylight faded. Police officials said they do not yet have a complete count of those potentially trapped, but believe several people may still be missing.

Council member Farah N. Louis told CNN affiliate Spectrum News NY1 that a child was among the injured. > "Imagine what that child is experiencing right now. That should’ve never happened," she said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said first responders were acting quickly to secure the area and assist residents. > "As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbors and the members of this community in our hearts," the mayor added.

The New York City Department of Buildings is investigating the collapse. State Rep. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn noted the lot had been vacant for years and was awaiting a permit for affordable housing, adding that the site had been cited for a demolition violation earlier in the year, which was resolved with a $10,000 penalty.

Rescue crews used drones, flashlights, and a conveyor-belt-style line to extract victims from the debris. Among those rescued was a pregnant woman, six months along, whose husband said he was relieved to learn she was alive.

A Red Cross help center was established for affected Flatbush residents, while onlookers gathered behind yellow tape to watch the ongoing operation.