ASN NEWS USA — NEWS FLASH
By ASN News Editorial Desk
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (ASN NEWS USA) — A three-story building in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood partially collapsed into an open construction pit on Wednesday afternoon, killing two people and injuring 17 others — including seven children.
The first 911 call came in at 4:01 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, for a collapse at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, near Bedford Avenue. The mixed-use building, built in 1930 with a business on the ground floor and apartments above, fell into an excavation on the neighboring lot at 2625 Bedford Avenue, where workers had been digging foundations for a new development.
The Rescue
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore confirmed the toll at a nighttime briefing: 19 patients in total — two dead, four in critical condition, 12 stable, and one firefighter with minor injuries. Around 250 firefighters, search dogs, NYPD units, and drones worked the pile by hand because of the risk of a secondary collapse.
More than two hours after the building came down, rescuers pulled a woman who is six months pregnant alive from the rubble. At least eight households were displaced. Officials said they did not know how many people might still be in the collapse zone, and the search could take days.
Questions About the Site Next Door
The cause remains under investigation by the Department of Buildings and law enforcement. City records show the firm that cleared the neighboring lot admitted breaking city rules twice this spring and paid $12,500 in fines — once for working through a stop-work order. The Buildings Department had issued earthwork and support-of-excavation permits for the development on September 9, 2026.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani told New Yorkers to stay clear of the area and promised updates as soon as they could be confirmed. Flatbush and Bedford avenues will remain closed for days.
Stay tuned to ASN News USA for more on this developing story.
Reported by ASN News USA. Visit asnnewsusa.com or follow @ASNNewsUSA for updates.
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