BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The death toll from a building collapse in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood climbed to eight on Thursday, one day after a three-story residential structure gave way, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said six people were declared dead at the scene, while two others died after being taken to a hospital. An additional 18 people were injured in the collapse, which occurred on Wednesday.
Search and rescue operations remained underway Thursday, with more than 250 firefighters and emergency workers deployed to the site, city officials said. Crews continued to comb through the rubble as heavy equipment moved in to assist with debris removal.
The collapse drew an extensive emergency response to the Flatbush neighborhood, where first responders could be seen rescuing survivors from the wreckage. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was at the scene and was photographed consoling a man whose pregnant wife had been pulled from the rubble.
Mayor Mamdani held a press conference at the site on Wednesday following the collapse. The cause of the structural failure has not been disclosed.
By Thursday, cleanup efforts had begun as residents from neighboring buildings watched the response unfold. A drone flew over the site, and an excavator worked to clear debris. Fire department members were also seen operating on the roof of an adjacent building.
