Flatbush Building Collapse Kills One, Leaves Others Trapped, FDNY Says

One person has died and at least 10 others are injured after a three-story building collapsed in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, according to the FDNY. The department said other people are confirmed to be trapped, and a major technical rescue operation was still underway.

Drivers have been urged to avoid the area and to expect road closures and delays, officials said.

What officials say happened

The FDNY sent a major technical rescue response to 2625 Bedford Avenue at 4:01 p.m. after reports of a collapse with people trapped inside, according to NY1. As of 5:29 p.m., operations were continuing. CBS News said the building is on Bedford Avenue between Newkirk and Flatbush avenues.

CBS News reported that four of the injured are in critical condition and six have minor injuries, citing the FDNY. NY1 and News 12, citing the NYPD, reported that victims were taken to Kings County Hospital. NY1 said police described one person as critically injured, while News 12 said at least one person was in critical condition. The sources give different injury counts, and further details have not been released.

CBS News said dozens of firefighters could be seen sifting through rubble by hand and breaking through a collapsed wall to apparently search beneath it. Photos and video from the scene appear to show an entire side of a building gone, exposing stairwells and apartments, according to CBS News.

What city records show about the site

The sources describe city building records differently, and it is not clear which property the violations involve.

NY1 said Department of Buildings (DOB) records identify the collapsed building as 1321 Flatbush Avenue, a three-story mixed-use building with four residential units and five units in total. NY1 reported that the DOB recorded several problems in May with a project next door. They included working during a stop work order, lacking proper overhead protection for neighboring properties and failing to follow approved construction drawings.

CBS News and News 12 pointed to an April violation. According to CBS News, the DOB cited a demolition contractor because inspectors said an entire building at the site had been demolished earlier this year despite an order to stop all demolition work. CBS News said that violation is now listed as resolved and does not explain why the stop work order was issued. News 12 described the April violation as unlawfully continuing work under a stop work order while the site was under demolition, and it called the location a construction and excavation site.

CBS News said city records show construction work at that address since the demolition. It is unclear whether that work is connected to Wednesday's collapse. The Department of Buildings said it is investigating, and its commissioner and investigators were headed to the site.

What an expert says about excavation

Glenn Corbett, an associate professor of fire science at John Jay University, told CBS News that it appears excavation was taking place next to the collapsed building. He said deep digging beside an existing structure can create "precarious problems of destabilizing an existing building" if proper precautions are not taken. His comments were based on what he could see, and the cause of the collapse has not been determined.

Why it matters for people in the area

For now, the most immediate effect is on those nearby and on commuters. Officials have asked drivers to stay away from the area around Bedford and Flatbush avenues because of closures and delays. The DOB also said investigators will conduct structural stability inspections of nearby buildings, which bears on the safety of neighboring properties.

The case also puts a spotlight on construction oversight. City records cited by the news outlets show earlier stop work and safety-related violations tied to work at or beside the site. Officials have not said whether those violations played any role in the collapse.

Council Member Farah N. Louis said in a statement that she is on the scene and in contact with FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. She said her office is working to reach affected families and connect them with information and support, and that she wants clear answers on what caused the collapse. Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams also posted about the collapse on X.

What happens next

Rescue operations were ongoing as of the latest reports, and the Department of Buildings investigation and the inspections of nearby buildings are continuing. Officials have not announced a cause or released the identities of the victims.

Around Prague, based on reporting by CBS News, News12 | Brooklyn, Spectrum News NY1

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