Flatbush collapse: eight dead after 1930 building falls into Brooklyn excavation pit

A four-unit apartment building dating from 1930 collapsed into an open excavation pit next door in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood just after 4 p.m. Wednesday, killing at least eight people and injuring at least 17.

The building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. fell into the construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave., where workers were actively excavating when the structure gave way. The collapse sheared the wall off the neighboring three-story building at 1323 Flatbush Ave., exposing apartments. That building remained standing.

Firefighters arrived in under a minute and began searching the rubble. Rescue operations continued overnight under floodlights, with drones and K-9 units deployed across the site. By Thursday morning, officials confirmed six people had been found dead at the scene and two died at the hospital. Seven of the injured were children; three were firefighters.

The building was fully occupied by residents when it fell. Construction workers were in the pit performing excavation work at the same time. Officials have not said how many people remain unaccounted for, and they warned the death toll could rise as the search continues. The operation, they said, remains dangerous.

The sequence raises a question that goes beyond this one site: how New York City regulates excavation work directly adjacent to occupied residential buildings. The pit at 2625 Bedford Ave. was open and active. The building next to it was 96 years old and home to four households. The cause of the collapse is under investigation, and officials have not yet said what role, if any, the excavation played.

Rescue crews are still working. Officials said the search could stretch for days.