One Dead After Building Collapse in New York City

A deadly building collapse in Brooklyn set off a frantic rescue effort as firefighters combed through debris near a construction site, with city officials confirming one death and multiple injuries.

Photos from the scene showed crews digging through a mound of rubble outside what appeared to be a residential property. Parts of the structure had been ripped away, leaving a bedroom and a wardrobe exposed to the street.

US media reported that emergency responders pulled several people from the wreckage, including a child who was carried out on a stretcher.

According to the New York City Fire Department, calls came in at about 4:00pm (9pm local time) yesterday reporting people trapped after a three-storey building collapsed in the Flatbush district of Brooklyn.

The department said one person was pronounced dead on arrival. Four others were taken to hospital in critical condition, while another six people sustained minor injuries.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known

Officials said the cause of the collapse was not immediately known.

Some news outlets reported the building gave way into a neighbouring excavation site.

A witness identified only as Anthony described hearing screams followed by a noise “like a bomb” as the building came down.

Television footage showed dozens of emergency vehicles crowding the area, and firefighters were reported to be using chainsaws and search dogs as they searched for survivors.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the public to steer clear of the area.

“As emergency operations continue, please join me in holding our neighbours and the members of this community in our hearts,” he wrote on X

The city’s Department of Buildings said inspectors were at the scene “assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings”.