Brooklyn Building Collapse Kills One, Critically Injures Four as Rescuers Search Rubble

The update

Firefighters in New York searched the rubble of a three-storey building in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on Wednesday after it collapsed at about 4 p.m. at the edge of a construction site. The New York City Fire Department said one person died, four people were taken to hospital in critical condition and six others had minor injuries. Crews dug by hand, used a saw, rescue dogs and a drone, and pulled at least one person from the debris on a stretcher.

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Why it matters

The building stood beside a lot where a one-storey building had been demolished and the site was being excavated. The collapse filled the pit with bricks and wood and sheared a wall from a neighbouring building, exposing bedrooms and closets. With people reported trapped beneath the wreckage, the immediate focus is the rescue and accounting for everyone who was in or near the building when it fell.

What to watch

Rescuers were still searching as night fell, using flashlights, and the toll could change. Messages seeking comment were left with the architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records for the construction project. Investigators will be expected to establish why the building fell and whether excavation work played a role.

Sources

• bbc.co.uk — confirms one person died and ten others were injured, and rescuers searching for people trapped
• theguardian.com — confirms the 4 p.m. collapse, four critical, six with minor injuries and the construction-site setting

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