City Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore stated that several individuals were trapped as the building fell, noting that authorities do not yet know how many people remain in the collapse zone. She described the scene as a “prolonged operation” involving precarious wreckage and dangerous voids. Official casualty figures indicate that the injured include seven children, though officials did not specify if any of the children were among the deceased. NBC News initially reported at least five dead and more than a dozen injured, figures which Mayor Mamdani later confirmed and updated to eight dead and 17 injured.
Rescue teams, comprising more than 250 emergency responders from fire, medical, and police units, have been working continuously through the night. Fire Chief John Esposito warned that the situation is “unstable” with significant concerns regarding a secondary collapse. Crews are utilizing thermal imaging cameras, drones, and search dogs to identify victims beneath piles of twisted wood and brick. Officials expressed urgency to locate survivors before forecasted rain arrives, which could complicate the search with mud and further destabilize the debris field.
The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation. Buildings Department Commissioner Ahmed Tigani confirmed that construction workers were engaged in excavation work on the adjacent empty lot at the time of the incident. The force of the collapse shorn off a section of the exterior wall of a neighboring building that remained standing, exposing interior rooms including bedrooms and closets. One construction worker who escaped the initial collapse recorded a video message confirming his safety, stating, “There was a big accident at my job. Thank God, I’m okay.”
The disaster has displaced at least eight households. The New York City Emergency Management agency and the American Red Cross have established a reception center at the Flatbush YMCA to provide temporary housing, mental health resources, and other assistance to affected families. Witnesses reported that residents of the neighboring damaged building are searching for missing relatives, including two cousins who have not been contacted. City officials have advised New Yorkers to avoid the area, where hundreds of workers remain on-site for the search and recovery operation.
Among the identified victims is Jose Luis Caguana, 26, an Ecuadorian migrant and construction worker who moved to the U.S. six years ago. His brother, Carlos, told Univision that Caguana was the sole provider for his family, leaving behind a heavily pregnant wife who is nearing her due date and another young child. Mayor Mamdani expressed the city’s grief, stating, “There are no words for a loss of this magnitude,” and confirming that rescue teams would remain on site for several days until the entire area is searched for potential victims.
