Brooklyn Building Collapse: At Least Five Dead as Rescuers Search the Rubble in Flatbush

By Sarah Collins | November 12, 2026

A three-storey residential building in Brooklyn collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, falling into a construction excavation next door and trapping people in the rubble. At least five people have died and 17 others have been injured, according to the Associated Press, which reported on Thursday that firefighters had recovered three additional bodies overnight. The toll rose through the night as the search continued, and officials said it could change again.

The collapse happened just after 4 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, November 11, at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighbourhood, near Bedford Avenue. The first emergency call came in at 4:01 p.m., the Fire Department of New York said, and units arrived within one minute and immediately began search-and-rescue work.

On Wednesday night, officials put the toll at two dead and 17 injured. Four of the injured were in critical condition, 12 were in stable condition, and one firefighter had minor injuries, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. Seven children were among the injured.

By early Thursday, the picture had grown worse. A third body was recovered from the rubble at about 4:45 a.m., according to reports from the scene, and the Associated Press later reported that the death toll had risen to at least five.

A building from 1930, and a pit next door

City records describe 1321 Flatbush Avenue as a three-storey mixed-use building, built in 1930, with a shop at street level and four apartments above it. The building fell into the open construction site next door at 2625 Bedford Avenue, where developers planned to build a nine-storey property with 64 homes and a ground-floor supermarket, according to city records.

The collapse sent bricks and debris into a large excavation pit on that neighbouring site. Part of the adjacent building at 1323 Flatbush Avenue was also damaged, although that building remained standing.

What was happening at the construction site is now a central part of the investigation. CBS News reported that investigators were examining construction work on the neighbouring property, where contractors had previously violated a city order to stop demolition. The Buildings Department issued earthwork and support-of-excavation permits for the development on September 9, 2026, according to the trade publication Engineering News-Record.

City officials have not yet said what caused the building to fall. The cause remained under investigation by the Department of Buildings and law enforcement late on Wednesday, and officials said the search and rescue operation and the investigation both continued overnight into Thursday.

More than 250 firefighters and emergency workers responded to the scene, according to reports from the site, along with police units, search dogs and drones. Mayor Zohran Mamdani told New Yorkers to stay clear of the area and promised updates as soon as details could be confirmed. Officials expected to be on site for several days, and they could not say how many people might still be trapped.

Sources: FDNY; Associated Press; CBS News; Engineering News-Record; ABC7 New York; Fox News, November 11-12, 2026. Casualty figures are the latest reported at publication and may change as the search continues; check official updates for the final confirmed toll.