Brooklyn Three-Story Building Collapses, Killing at Least Eight
FDNY crews worked through the night to clear rubble at a construction site on Flatbush Avenue where 17 others were injured.
By Justin Barnes ·
New York City fire crews confirmed on Thursday that at least eight people died when a three-story residential building on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn collapsed on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The structure, located near Bedford Avenue, fell into a nearby excavation site, leaving 17 others injured, four of them in critical condition.
The Fire Department of the City of New York arrived at the scene in under one minute. Officers reported pulling two people from the debris shortly after the collapse. By nightfall, approximately 250 firefighters and paramedics, along with dog units from the NYPD, had joined the search. The team used hand tools and flashlights to dig through unstable piles of brick and wood while a drone monitored the area from above.
Among the deceased was José Luis Caguana, a 26-year-old construction worker from Ecuador. His brother, Carlos, told Telemundo 47 that Caguana left behind a child aged four or five and a pregnant wife. Carlos described the family's situation as overwhelming, noting that Caguana was their sole financial support and that his wife was too distraught to speak.
The building contained a ground-floor commercial space and multiple apartments. The Department of Buildings said the site was active with excavations and held approved plans for a three-story structure. Officials noted that plans for a nine-story building existed but had not yet received approval. The site was adjacent to a hole left by the 2025 demolition of a one-story building.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore stated that the death toll could change within minutes as the multi-day operation continues. Authorities remained uncertain about the total number of people inside the building at the time of the collapse. The owner of the construction project, an LLC led by Robert Fischman and partners, did not immediately respond to messages from reporters.
The collapse filled the existing excavation pit with debris, complicating rescue efforts. Seven children were among the injured, along with one firefighter who sustained minor wounds. The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined.
