NEW YORK — Five people died and at least 17 others were injured on Wednesday in New York City when a three-story apartment building collapsed into a hole created by a construction site next door, authorities said.
Seven of the people hurt were children, WABC reported.
Death toll rises to 5
Update 7:05 a.m. ET Nov. 12: Firefighters early Thursday removed the bodies of three more people, bringing the death toll to five, The Associated Press and CNN reported.
Original report: Police received a call about the collapse at 4:01 p.m. ET. It occurred in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to The New York Times. The impact sheared off the wall of a building next door, leaving a bedroom and staircase exposed to the open air, the newspaper reported.
The search for additional victims continued during the night and into Thursday morning. Two people were confirmed dead Wednesday evening by the New York Fire Department; a spokesperson for the department later told CNN and WABC that a third person, who was pulled from the rubble shortly after 1 a.m. ET, was confirmed dead.
That person’s remains were removed from the site at approximately 4:45 a.m. ET, WABC reported.
CNN, quoting a fire department spokesperson early Thursday, said that a fourth body was recovered.
At 4:01 p.m. Wednesday, the FDNY responded to 1321 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn for a collapse of a three-story, multiple-dwelling building into an adjacent construction site. Units arrived within one minute and immediately started search-and-rescue operations. Two people have been pronounced dead, and more than 15 others have been injured as of 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. "Multiple people from the building and the construction site were trapped," FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. "This will be a prolonged operation. Collapse operations are extremely dangerous. Every move is choreographed and critically important to patient outcomes and member safety. Members have been working methodically and haven't stopped since they arrived this afternoon." More than 250 fire and EMS personnel responded, and search efforts in coordination with the NYPD were ongoing Wednesday night. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
— FDNY (@FDNY) November 12, 2026
Dozens of police officers and firefighters went through the rubble to pull people from piles of brick, wood and other debris, according to The Associated Press.
Fire officials said that of the 17 people injured, four remain in critical condition, according to WPIX.
During a news conference, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the Department of Buildings and law enforcement would lead an investigation into the cause of the collapse of the mixed-use building.
“This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface,” he told reporters.
The building, located at 1321 Flatbush Ave., fell into an open construction site next door at 2625 Bedford Ave., WABC reported. City records showed that the structure was built in 1930, according to the AP.
The building contained four apartments, the Times reported. According to city records, the structure also had commercial space on the ground floor.
“Everything went down, and everybody was screaming,” Melissa Orna, 53, told the newspaper. “The whole building started shaking, and then it just fell.”
Ahmed Tigani, commissioner for the Department of Buildings, told reporters that workers were excavating that site at the time of the collapse, the Times reported.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. ET, firefighters pulled a woman, who was still alive, out of a hole that they had dug into the rubble, taking her by ambulance to an area hospital, the news organization.
The woman’s husband was at the scene and said she was pregnant, CNN reported. The man, who was not identified, sobbed as his wife was pulled from the debris.
“I’m very happy, I’m very happy,” he said, according to the cable news network.
A New York City husband cried tears of relief after he said his pregnant wife was pulled alive from the rubble of a building collapse in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood. At least two people were killed and over a dozen others were injured, authorities said Wednesday night, after a three-story building collapsed into an adjacent excavation site. A "dangerous" search and rescue operation continued into the night and there could be more victims, fire officials warned. Read more: https://t.co/M8kKD5RbRK
— ABC News (@ABC) November 12, 2026
Other people were pulled from the debris as the night progressed.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said the rescue teams were performing “dangerous and perilous” work.
“Every move is choreographed,” she told reporters.
Officials said that one firefighter sustained minor injuries.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, WPIX reported.
© 2026 Cox Media Group
