A Brooklyn building collapse killed at least two people and injured 17 Wednesday, Nov. 11, as firefighters searched for survivors. The three-story structure in Flatbush fell into an excavation site next door shortly after 4 p.m. Officials warned that the rescue could continue for days.

The building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. collapsed beside construction work at 2625 Bedford Ave., according to ABC7 New York’s reporting, citing officials. Workers were excavating when the structure fell. Authorities had not announced a cause Wednesday evening.

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore reported four people in critical condition, 12 in stable condition and a firefighter with minor injuries. Those 17 injuries were in addition to the two deaths. Officials had not established how many people might remain missing.

Rescuers search Brooklyn building collapse debris

About 250 firefighters responded, according to The Associated Press. Crews searched with dogs and a drone while removing debris by hand and with tools. Rescuers brought a survivor out around 6:30 p.m. and carried the person away on a stretcher.

“We do not know how many people were missing overall,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said, according to AP. Search teams faced unstable wreckage and spaces beneath the debris where people could remain trapped. Officials warned that moving through the site posed continuing dangers.

“Multiple people from the building and a construction site were trapped,” Bonsignore said at a briefing, ABC News reported. She said the operation would take time and warned that crews could find additional victims. The response involved both people inside the occupied building and workers at the neighboring site.

The collapse also damaged an adjacent building at 1323 Flatbush Ave. Part of its exterior wall came away, exposing apartments, ABC7 reported. That building remained standing as inspectors assessed nearby structures.

City records show an earlier stop-work violation

City Department of Buildings enforcement records reviewed by USA Herald document an earlier violation at the neighboring construction property. The April 23 citation named N Tech Design of America as the respondent. It concerned unlawfully continuing work while a stop-work notice was in effect.

The record lists a Class 1 violation and a $10,000 penalty. It also shows an admission to the violation, full payment and acceptance of a correction certificate. The city lists that case as resolved.

The inspector’s description references a comparison with photographs taken March 20, when a one-story building remained at the site. Separate city filings describe the demolition of that structure. The citation therefore concerns an earlier phase of the property’s redevelopment.

That enforcement history does not establish what caused Wednesday’s collapse. It also does not establish that the work underway Wednesday violated a stop-work order. Determining the relationship, if any, requires examination of the construction activity and conditions when the building fell.

Permits identify the work planned next door

Separate DOB NOW filings reviewed by USA Herald describe a proposed nine-story mixed-use building with a cellar and 64 apartments. The main application for 2625 Bedford Ave. dates to January 2026. Additional filings address different parts of the project.

The foundation filing includes earthwork and lists a first permit date of Sept. 9. A separate filing for support of excavation carries the same permit date. Both appear under the same development application in the city’s public data.

Those entries establish that the project had separate filings for foundation work and excavation support. They do not establish whether workers followed the approved plans or whether installed protections performed as intended. Officials had not released findings resolving those questions Wednesday evening.

Brooklyn building collapse raises safety questions

New York City’s excavation safety guidance calls for engineering and oversight to protect workers, passersby and neighboring properties. Contractors must notify the department before beginning excavation, and most work requires permits. The work must conform to approved plans.

The department identifies sheeting, shoring and bracing among the precautions that may be necessary. Its guidance also calls for checking walls for cracks and examining supports for signs of distress. These measures address the risks that digging can create around existing structures.

The city’s design guidance for excavation support also calls for evaluating affected buildings before work begins. Plans should address the stability of adjacent structures and identify the sequence of support operations. Monitoring and applicable special inspections form part of that protective process.

For the Brooklyn investigation, unresolved questions include the excavation sequence, the supports in place and the inspection history. Investigators must also determine the condition of the occupied building before it failed. The presence of construction next door alone does not establish responsibility.

Engineering evidence can take time to assess. USA Herald’s earlier coverage of the federal investigation into the Surfside condominium collapse examined how design and construction records informed that inquiry. Officials have not announced comparable findings in the Brooklyn case.

Help for residents affected by the collapse

New York City Emergency Management and the American Red Cross opened a reception center at the Flatbush YMCA. The center is at 1401 Flatbush Ave., according to ABC7. It serves residents affected by the collapse.

Police urged the public to avoid the Brooklyn building collapse site because of closures and emergency operations. Building inspectors were checking the stability of nearby properties while rescue crews continued their search. The number of people still unaccounted for remained uncertain Wednesday evening.