Death toll climbs in Brooklyn building collapse as rescuers dig through rubble

The death toll continues to climb after a Brooklyn building collapsed and an adjacent building was significantly damaged.

A three-story, multi-use building on Flatbush Avenue collapsed into a nearby construction site just after 4 p.m. Wednesday, tearing off the side of another building. 

At least eight people were killed and 17 others were injured as of Thursday morning, according to the FDNY. Six people were found dead at the scene, and two died at the hospital. 

The structure was fully occupied by residents, and construction workers were in the construction pit performing excavation work. 

Emergency crews worked through the night under floodlights with the help of drones and K-9 units to get through the massive piles of rubble. 

Video showed dozens of firefighters at the scene Thursday morning searching for additional victims. 

Officials are trying to determine what caused the ground to give way. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident devastating, praising first responders for executing a grueling, high-risk technical operation.

“Rescue workers have spent the night searching the site of yesterday’s building collapse, working under extremely dangerous conditions to find and save anyone who may still be trapped. I am heartbroken that eight New Yorkers have now lost their lives and at least 17 have been injured, including three firefighters. There are no words for a loss of this magnitude,” he said in a post Thursday. 

They will be conducting comprehensive reviews of the conditions at the collapsed building and neighboring construction site. Investigators said developers have active permits for excavation and foundation work associated with a new building project.

It’s unclear how much of the construction project had been completed when the neighboring building collapsed. 

A full stop-work order has been issued as recovery operations continue.