Two killed after New York building collapses

Detailed summary

Two people were killed and several others were injured after a three-storey building collapsed near a construction site in New York, city authorities said.

Two people were killed and at least 17 others injured, including children, after a three-storey building collapsed near a construction site in New York, city authorities said.

Images from the scene showed firefighters sifting through a pile of rubble in front of what appeared to be a residential property with its walls torn down, exposing a bedroom and a wardrobe.

The building fell into a neighbouring excavation site, trapping several people who firefighters worked to free over several hours using drones, search dogs and chainsaws.

"We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone and this will be a prolonged operation," New York Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore told reporters at the scene in Flatbush, Brooklyn yesterday.

She said two people had died, without disclosing their ages, and said 17 others were hurt, including seven children. Four people were critically injured.

More than 250 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene, the department wrote on X, adding that the cause of the collapse was under investigation.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised the emergency services for their work, saying the site involved "precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface".

"I want to ask New Yorkers to please take a moment to pray for those who passed away today and all of those who are mourning their loss," he added at a news conference.

One witness, named only as Anthony, said he heard people screaming and a "bomb" like noise as the building fell down.

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