2 dead, 17 injured as firefighters search overnight after Flatbush building collapse

2 dead, 17 injured as firefighters search overnight after Flatbush building collapse By Eyewitness News Thursday, November 12, 2026 9:54AM Stream New York's #1 news - AccuWeather - original content 24/7 FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A partial building collapse in Flatbush, Brooklyn, has left two people dead and 17 others injured as firefighters continued searching through the night and into Thursday, combing through debris for anyone who may still be trapped, according to officials. Crews are using both hand tools and a suction machine to aid their search. K-9s detected two areas of interest where they may have detected a scent. The FDNY says the collapse happened just after 4 p.m. Wednesday when a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. collapsed into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave. Workers were actively excavating the construction site when the collapse occurred. Follow live blog updates on abc7NY Part of the neighboring building at 1323 Flatbush Ave. was also damaged in the collapse. An exterior wall was sheared away, leaving apartments exposed to the outside. The building remains standing. Sonia Rincon has more. Officials said firefighters arrived in less than a minute and immediately began searching through the wreckage for survivors. "They encountered people trapped in the adjacent building that was part of the collapse. They immediately took action to remove those people from danger," said FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito. Officials said two people were killed and 17 others were injured. Four victims are in critical condition, four suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and nine others, including one firefighter, sustained minor injuries. The victims include seven children, FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said, though officials have not specified their conditions. Rescuers pulled victims from the debris one by one, including several children and a pregnant woman . Officials said four people were rescued from the rubble during the 6 p.m. hour alone. A pregnant woman may have been pulled from rubble after a building partially collapsed in Brooklyn. "This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Bonsignore said officials do not know how many people were inside the building when it collapsed. Firefighters continued searching void spaces within the debris field on Thursday while working carefully to avoid triggering additional collapses. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city officials provided an update on the deadly building collapse in Flatbush. The FDNY is using a drone to search for possible victims and buckets and vacuum trucks to remove debris. Most of the injured were taken to Kings County Hospital, while others were transported to nearby hospitals. Department of Buildings inspectors remain on scene, assisting with recovery operations and evaluating the structural stability of nearby buildings. Brooklyn building collapse: At least 2 dead, 17 injured in Flatbush AccuWeather Alert: Rain and a rumble Javits Frimpong: 17-year-old charged with murder in Bronx shooting death of 15-year-old The Department of Buildings said the developers of the adjacent construction site had an active permit for excavation and foundation work. A full stop-work order has since been issued as investigators work to determine what caused the collapse. The NYPD is asking the public to avoid the area surrounding Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue. Street closures and traffic delays are expected, and officials are urging drivers and pedestrians to use alternate routes. ALSO WATCH | Building at center of collapse had April violation Dan Krauth outlines when the building was built, and a resolved violation from April. New York City Emergency Management has opened a reception center for impacted residents with the Red Cross at the Flatbush YMCA, located at 1401 Flatbush Ave. The Red Cross said it registered 11 adults and two children from six households for emergency assistance, including temporary lodging. Recovery, rescue, and investigative efforts remain ongoing Thursday. ---------- * More Brooklyn news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Download our connected TV app Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics NEW YORK CITY BROOKLYN FLATBUSH COLLAPSE SEARCH & RESCUE FDNY NYPD ZOHRAN MAMDANI Watch Live ON NOW Brooklyn building collapse: At least 2 dead, 17 injured in Flatbush AccuWeather Alert: Rain and a rumble Javits Frimpong: 17-year-old charged with murder in Bronx shooting death of 15-year-old Worker killed, another missing after bridge scaffolding collapse on Loop Parkway Bridge Jogger murder suspect allegedly told police he went to bike path with knife