Eight dead in Brooklyn collapse

Eight people are dead and 17 are injured following a building collapse in Brooklyn on Wednesday. The FDNY confirmed the casualty figures as of Thursday morning. Six victims were found dead at the scene, while two others died at the hospital. The injured group includes three firefighters.

A three-story, multi-use building on Flatbush Avenue collapsed just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. The structure fell into an adjacent construction site, tearing off the side of a neighboring building. Residents occupied the building fully at the time of the incident. Construction workers were performing excavation work in the pit when the ground gave way.

Emergency crews worked through the night under floodlights. They used drones and K-9 units to navigate the massive piles of rubble. Video footage from Thursday morning showed dozens of firefighters searching for additional victims. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as devastating. He praised first responders for executing a grueling, high-risk technical operation.

"Rescue workers have spent the night searching the site of yesterday's building collapse, working under extremely dangerous conditions to find and save anyone who may still be trapped," Mamdani said in a post on Thursday. "I am heartbroken that eight New Yorkers have now lost their lives and at least 17 have been injured, including three firefighters."

Officials are investigating what caused the ground to fail. Investigators noted that developers held permits for the excavation and foundation work associated with the new building project. A full stop-work order is in effect while recovery operations continue. It remains unclear how much of the construction project had been completed when the neighboring building collapsed.