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Death toll from Brooklyn building collapse continues to rise amid ongoing search
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Verónica Del Valle
Published Nov 12, 2026 at 7:08 a.m. ET
Modified Nov 12, 2026 at 7:52 a.m. ET
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Brittany Kriegstein/Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Verónica Del Valle
Published Nov 12, 2026 at 7:08 a.m. ET
Modified Nov 12, 2026 at 7:52 a.m. ET
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The collapse of a three-story apartment building in Flatbush has now killed eight people and injured two dozen others, city officials said Thursday as emergency service workers continued to search the rubble for survivors.
The FDNY said it received a call about the collapse near Bedford and Flatbush Avenues in Brooklyn just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. By Thursday morning, 8 people were dead, and at least 25 were injured, according to officials. At least seven of the 25 are children, officials said.
The devastation puts the collapse among the worst such disasters in recent city history.
Assiah Bah, 23, said she and her family were waiting outside all night for news of their two cousins who lived in the collapsed building and were cooking dinner at the time of the disaster.
“We don't know what is going on, if they're still alive or if they passed, we don't know,” Bah said Thursday morning, saying her family immigrated from Guinea.
The extent of injuries and location of those who were caught in the wreckage has been changing throughout the rescue operation.
"We've seen infants, toddlers being pulled out of the rubble on stretchers into ambulances to be rushed to the hospital,” Councilmember Farah Louis said from the scene Wednesday night.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday morning that rescue workers had been searching for survivors all night in very dangerous conditions and the death toll had risen to eight people
“There are no words for a loss of this magnitude,” he said. “ Rescue operations are ongoing. Please stay clear of the area and keep those affected, and our first responders risking their lives in these efforts, in your thoughts.”
The building collapsed into a hole where construction workers had been excavating for a new building on an adjacent lot earlier in the day, according to the city's buildings commissioner Ahmed Tigani.
“ I actually watched it. I was in my room when the building fell down. You could hear it.” Antione Vines said Wednesday night from the scene. “ Before they build a new building and you're connecting it to another building that’s been up since the 1700s, you gotta look at the structure of the building. You can't just build a new building and connect it.”
Images shared by the FDNY appeared to show that nearly all of the building had caved into the adjacent construction site, exposing a stairway and clothes stored in a closet in a neighboring residential building.
"You see the building next to it is sheared off in part," former FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh told WNYC, warning that Thursday's storm forecast could further complicate the rescue effort and the collapse site. "Rain and wind can cause further instability."
New York City's Office of Emergency Management said it has coordinated with the Red Cross to open a reception center for impacted residents at the Flatbush YMCA at 1401 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.
As of 6 a.m., the Red Cross has registered seven households (14 adults and five children) for emergency assistance, including temporary lodging.
Department of Buildings spokesperson David Maggiotto said buildings officials were at the scene and would investigate the cause of the collapse.
Mamdani said anyone searching for a loved one should call 311 or 212-639-9675
Liam Quigley contributed reporting.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
Tagged
brooklyn
fdny
nypd
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Verónica Del Valle
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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