The collapse occurred at approximately 4pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday in the Flatbush neighbourhood, where excavation work was underway at a neighbouring construction site. The ageing residential building, dating back to the 1930s, came down suddenly, sending debris into the adjoining excavation area.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the death toll on Thursday, saying emergency services were continuing rescue operations as authorities worked to establish the full extent of the disaster.
At least 17 people sustained injuries, including three firefighters who were involved in the emergency response. Four of the injured were initially reported to be in critical condition, raising concerns about the possibility of further fatalities.
The circumstances surrounding the collapse remained unclear, while investigators examined whether construction activity at the adjoining site could have contributed to the structural failure.
The city’s Department of Buildings, alongside law enforcement agencies, launched an investigation to determine what caused the residential structure to collapse. Officials were also examining the condition of the building and the excavation work taking place nearby.
Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said seven children were among those affected by the incident. However, authorities declined to provide further details about the ages of those killed or clarify whether children were among the fatalities.
The number of residents inside the building when it collapsed was not immediately established. Officials also had no confirmed figure for the number of construction workers present at the adjoining site when the incident occurred.
Emergency crews faced a difficult operation as they searched through the remains of the building for survivors and possible victims. Search teams used specially trained dogs to examine the debris, while firefighters carefully removed rubble to reach spaces where people might have become trapped.
Some survivors were reportedly pulled from the wreckage within hours of the collapse. Among them was a pregnant woman, who was rescued during the initial search efforts.
A firefighting crew already operating in the neighbourhood arrived at the scene within approximately one minute of the incident, allowing rescuers to begin removing victims from the debris shortly after the building came down.
The scale of the operation increased as additional emergency personnel arrived. Approximately 250 firefighters and emergency medical services workers were deployed to assist with rescue efforts, provide medical treatment and secure the surrounding area.
Fire Department Chief John Esposito warned that the search would take several days because of the extensive destruction and the possibility that people remained trapped beneath heavy sections of the collapsed structure.
He said rescue teams needed to examine the entire site carefully before determining whether everyone had been accounted for.
Authorities said they did not yet know how many people were missing, making it difficult to establish when the search operation could be completed.
The presence of an adjoining construction site complicated the rescue operation, with emergency personnel required to work cautiously around unstable debris and the excavation area. Heavy machinery and specialised equipment were being used as teams continued efforts to reach potentially inaccessible sections of the wreckage.
Officials have not announced any arrests or identified individuals responsible for the collapse. The investigation is expected to examine building safety records, construction permits, excavation procedures and the structural condition of the residential property.
The disaster has also raised concerns about the safety of older residential buildings located close to active construction projects in densely populated parts of New York City.
For residents and families affected by the collapse, uncertainty remained as rescue workers continued searching for missing people.
City authorities said the immediate priority was to locate anyone who might still be alive beneath the rubble, provide assistance to injured victims and establish the circumstances that led to one of the city’s deadliest recent building emergencies.
The final number of casualties and the full extent of the damage may not be known until rescue operations and the subsequent investigation are completed.
