A three-story building in New York City collapsed into a construction site Wednesday afternoon, leaving at least eight people dead and triggering a massive rescue operation that is ongoing.
A timeline of the disaster shows how the building collapse unfolded in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood, from the first 911 call and subsequent frantic search for survivors to a mounting death toll.
The collapse raised questions about previous construction violations at a nearby worksite.
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The New York Police Department said the first 911 call on the building collapse at 1321 Flatbush Ave. came in at 4:01 p.m. The property, a three-story mixed-use building, collapsed into an excavation pit at a neighboring construction site. The collapse also tore away a wall of 1323 Flatbush Ave., leaving apartments and stairwells exposed.
Firefighters with the New York City Fire Department reached the scene within a minute after the building collapsed, as there were already some in the area. The building contained a store at street level and apartments above it.
Notify NYC issued a warning for heavy emergency personnel activity, traffic delay and road closures in the area.
Several news outlets report that people are trapped underneath the building collapse, adding that the FDNY has launched a major rescue operation.
A CBS New York camera captured firefighters talking with a dust-covered woman after breaking through a collapsed wall.
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After firefighters got a woman into an ambulance, a man who had been desperately searching for his wife told reporters that she survived the building collapse.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least 17 people have been injured, with two dead. By Thursday morning, the number of people who died because of the collapse reached at least eight people.
“I am heartbroken that eight New Yorkers have now lost their lives and at least 17 have been injured, including three firefighters,” Mamdani said in a post on X. “There are no words for a loss of this magnitude. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those we have lost, those who are injured and everyone grieving today.”
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Developers at 2625 Bedford Ave. held active permits for excavation and foundation work as part of plans to erect a new three-story building on the site.
The Department of Buildings issued a stop work order in March for the property after inspectors discovered that developers had demolished the existing building without having enough shielding to neighboring properties, which included 1321 Flatbush Ave.
A little over a month later, investigators discovered the demolition continued despite the stop work order, resulting in a $10,000 fine. The order was lifted in May after developers were compliant.
Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone contributed to this report.