Two dead, 17 injured in Brooklyn building collapse, Mayor Zohran Mamdani says

A three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, killing at least two people and injuring 17, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Four of the injured were in critical condition, and seven were children. The identities of those who died had not been released.

A WBC24 post on Nov. 12 reported at least 19 people injured, a different figure from the 17 cited by Mamdani. The collapse occurred shortly after 4 p.m. local time on Bedford Avenue, between Newkirk and Flatbush avenues, in the residential Flatbush neighborhood, according to CBS News.

Mamdani said he was “heartbroken” by the collapse. He asked the public to pray for those who died, their families and the injured, and wished those hospitalized a “quick and full recovery.”

New York City Fire Department crews searched the rubble with drones, search dogs and flashlights. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said officials could not yet determine how many people might be in the affected area and described the rescue effort as prolonged.

Fire Chief John M. Esposito warned that the structure was unstable and that a second collapse was possible. A neighboring building that remained partially intact posed a danger to rescue workers, he said. Crews were monitoring the structure and taking steps to protect workers as they continued the search.

Authorities said construction workers were excavating at the site when the building collapsed. New York City records show that a demolition company received a violation notice in April. CBS News reported that inspectors found a building at the address had been demolished in early 2026 despite a city order to stop all demolition work. The violation is listed as resolved in city records, which do not explain why the city had ordered the work halted. Officials have not established whether the demolition or other work was connected to Wednesday’s collapse.