What we know about Brooklyn building collapse that killed at least two
At least two people were killed and 17 others injured when a three-storey residential building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, on 11 November. Investigators are now examining construction work on the neighbouring property, where contractors had previously violated a city order to stop demolition, CBS News reports.
The disaster occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on Flatbush Avenue, sending bricks and debris into a large excavation pit next door. Four people suffered critical injuries, including seven children.
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
Around 250 emergency workers searched the wreckage using drones, rescue dogs and power tools. Among those pulled out alive was a pregnant woman who had been trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapse also damaged another neighbouring building, tearing away part of its exterior wall and exposing rooms inside.
❗️ [ 🇺🇸 ÉTATS-UNIS ] 🔸 Un immeuble résidentiel de plusieurs étages s’est effondré à Brooklyn, à New York. Plusieurs morts sont à craindre et des blessés sont signalés. https://t.co/hLCMYXDfQR
— Little Think Tank (@L_ThinkTank) November 11, 2026
What was happening at the construction site?
City records show that developers planned to build a nine-storey property with 64 flats and a ground-floor supermarket at 2625 Bedford Avenue, next to the collapsed building.
However, New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said the developers only had approval for a three-storey structure. Their proposal for the larger building had not yet been approved.
🚨 #LATEST: One person has died after being trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in New York ▪️ One person died and 12 residents of the apartment building were injured in the collapse in #Brooklyn, #NewYork. ▪️ New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials said the building was located on a block between Newkirk and Flatbush avenues in central Brooklyn.
— APA News Agency (@APA_English) November 12, 2026
The construction site had also attracted attention from inspectors months earlier.
In April, the city’s Department of Buildings issued a violation after contractors demolished an entire building despite an order to stop the work. The violation was subsequently marked as resolved.
The demolition contractor told CBS News that the earlier problems involved a missing fire extinguisher and poor housekeeping. The company said it had completed its work months before the collapse and was not responsible for the excavation taking place that day.
Rescue operations are underway after a building collapsed in Brooklyn on Wednesday, injuring multiple people, according to New York City fire officials. https://t.co/yYxWPPr1f8 https://t.co/6WE9GGTqkj
— ABC News (@ABC) November 11, 2026
Fire officials confirmed that workers were digging at the site when the neighbouring building fell.
Investigators have not established whether the excavation or previous construction violations contributed to the disaster.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the rescue operation as particularly difficult because of unstable debris and dangerous gaps beneath the wreckage.
The city’s Buildings Department is investigating the cause, while officials have yet to determine whether the construction project played a role.
