A building collapse in Brooklyn has claimed the lives of at least eight people, including two children. The three-story building, which housed a store and apartments, fell without warning on Wednesday. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the victims as young families and immigrants. Eighteen others were injured, including four firefighters. Witnesses reported hearing loud noises before the collapse. Construction workers who narrowly escaped began rescuing survivors. Among the deceased were two construction workers, including José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, an immigrant from Ecuador. Rescue efforts continued Thursday as crews searched through the debris.
From
To
In this photo provided by Charles Koffi-Oyoua, Dervie Mapp stands in her apartment on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, overlooking the wreckage of a building that had collapsed the previous day, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Charles Koffi-Oyoua via AP)
New York City Department of Buildings employees stand on a rooftop during their investigation of a building that collapsed the previous day in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A police official and a K-9 dog inspect the site of a building that collapsed the previous day in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Firefighters have removed the bodies of three more people who died after a building collapsed in Brooklyn, bringing the death toll to five. The structure fell at the edge of a construction site on Wednesday afternoon. At least 17 people were hospitalized, with four in critical condition. Rescuers worked overnight into Thursday, using dogs to sniff for survivors. Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised the efforts, calling it a challenging situation. The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The three-story building was a mixed-use structure with apartments above commercial space. Seven of the casualties were children. One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the rescue.
First responders rescue a person after a building collapsed after a building collapsed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
First responders work the scene after a building collapsed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
First responders work the scene after a building collapsed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
First responders work the scene after a building collapsed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
First responders rescue a person after a building collapsed after a building collapsed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)