Brooklyn building collapse death toll rises to 8, Digi Mart USA News (Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York): Search operations continued Thursday in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, a day after a building collapsed and killed at least eight people. New victims were discovered Thursday, bringing the toll to eight dead and 19 injured, according to firefighters.
Four of the injured are in critical condition, and five others are in serious condition, though their lives are not believed to be in immediate danger. Ten more people suffered minor injuries.
The three-story residential building collapsed completely. Around 250 firefighters and rescue workers have been mobilized, and the building fell onto an adjacent excavation site, trapping people who were rescued using drones, dogs and chainsaws.
A first update Wednesday evening reported two dead and 17 injured. A witness named Anthony told PIX11 News he heard screams and what sounded like an explosion during the collapse.
Another neighbor, Melissa Orna, told The New York Times that the entire building began to shake before it simply collapsed.
According to Ahmed Tigani, head of the city’s buildings department, workers were excavating at the time of the collapse. Developers had been authorized to build a three-story building and were seeking a permit for nine stories.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference at the site Wednesday evening, praising rescue workers who are navigating difficult debris and dangerous underground cavities.
