New York City building collapse leaves people trapped in rubble

Detailed summary

The aerial footage captured firefighters digging at least one person out of the debris

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Emergency rescue crews worked urgently to sift through the debris of a three-story Brooklyn building that collapsed on Wednesday alongside a construction zone, leaving individuals trapped under the fallen structure.

First responders arrived in the Flatbush neighborhood of the borough at approximately 4 p.m. Aerial news footage showed scores of firefighters searching the pile, with several members focusing on a specific spot and appearing to use a power saw to cut into the debris.

Overhead video footage captured rescuers extracting at least one victim from the rubble and transporting them away on a stretcher.

The structure stood adjacent to a lot where a single-story building had previously been demolished to make way for a construction project. Ongoing excavation work at the site left an open pit, which was filled with wood and bricks when the neighboring building caved in.

An adjoining building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure stayed standing, though its outer partition was shorn off, revealing interior rooms, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.

An unmanned drone hovered above the scene while emergency responders cleared heavy rubble manually and deployed search dogs to locate survivors.

Crews continued working after nightfall, using handheld flashlights to light up their working area.

Phone and email messages seeking comment were left for the property owner, architect, and general contractor listed in official city records as associated with the construction project.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Independent. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.