NYC Building Beside Construction Site Collapses; 8 Dead, 18 Injured

A three-story apartment building beside a construction site collapsed November 11 in Brooklyn, killing eight people and injuring 18, according to New York City officials.

Two of the deceased were children. Two of the six adults who died were workers at a construction site adjacent to the collapsed building on Flatbush Avenue.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced November 12 that the city is investigating the construction site, though no cause has been determined for the collapse. He also said there are five entities associated with the construction site, and those entities are associated with about 100 other construction sites across the city. The investigation will also include the building that collapsed and will be conducted by the city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement, he said.

FDNYThe New York City Department of Buildings has begun a sweep of all those sites. DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said his department will conduct an extensive, full investigation, but that so far there are no violations or noncompliance issues found. The agency is also on the scene of the collapse and construction site to examine structural issues for the safety of firefighters and rescuers on site.

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The collapse occurred at about 4 p.m., and 250 personnel from the FDNY responded. Firefighters began arriving within 1 minute of the 911 call, according to the mayor.

Mamdani reported that of the fatalities, six occurred on scene, and two succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Of the 18 people injured, four were firefighters. He said the vast majority of the injured are in stable condition, and one is in critical condition.

He added that construction workers at the site aided in rescue efforts.

FDNYAs of 2 p.m. November 12, firefighters are still searching for survivors under the rubble. Excavators with grapples are removing heavy debris as part of the effort. The rescue operation has been hindered by heavy rain.

According to The New York Times, construction worker Edgar Santiago Sapon Gutierrez, 26, died in the collapse.   

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