NEW YORK (AP) – Investigations are underway to determine the cause of a devastating apartment building collapse in Brooklyn that resulted in the loss of eight lives. Emergency operations concluded on Thursday after all victims were recovered from the debris. The catastrophe occurred while construction work was ongoing at an adjacent lot, prompting the New York City mayor to mandate inspections at approximately 100 building sites linked to the construction.
According to reports, the three-story structure collapsed on Wednesday afternoon as workers were excavating. Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed a commitment to hold any responsible parties fully accountable during a press conference. The casualties included two children, ages 9 and 10, as well as adults aged 22 to 31. Eighteen individuals sustained injuries, among them four firefighters. Notably, the children who perished were Colombian, as confirmed by their country’s consulate in New York.
Witness accounts reveal alarming premonitions leading up to the disaster, with bricks falling from the building shortly before it crumbled. Another resident attributed the cracking walls of her apartment to vibrations from the construction activity. Emergency crews employed power saws and pickaxes to sift through the wreckage, managing to rescue four victims in the early hours of Thursday. Subsequent excavations were conducted to access deeper areas of the construction pit.
James Williams, a witness who operates a deli across the street, described the chaotic scene, stating he heard loud noises prior to the collapse. Customers at a nearby hair salon rushed outside in panic upon hearing the collapse's sound, engulfed in smoke and debris. Eyewitness Brigitte Anama recounted seeing emergency responders trying to save individuals trapped under the rubble, including a child. Local resident Dervie Mapp voiced concerns that she and others had previously raised issues about the construction project, and expressed frustration over a lack of feedback after engineers examined her building.
Experts caution that it may take considerable time to ascertain the cause of the Brooklyn collapse. Glenn Corbett, a construction safety expert from John Jay College, suggested potential reasons could include a design flaw, a construction error, or an issue related to excavation work. It appears that the shoring protecting the excavation may have failed, but further investigation is necessary to pinpoint the exact cause. The site where the building collapsed was previously occupied by a one-story structure that was demolished earlier in the year, with plans for excavation involving rock blasting.
The Brooklyn incident marks the second notable structural failure in New York within a five-month period. Earlier in July, more buildings were evacuated in Manhattan due to buckling support columns in a former Pfizer skyscraper. First responders faced a daunting task while clearing away a heap of wreckage that included household items like mattresses, refrigerators, and clothing.
The police department reported the identities of the deceased, which included Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, 9; Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31; Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10; Ndiaye Mamadou, 31; Barry Mamadou, 23; Gabriel Siguencia, 22; Edgar Sapon, 26; and Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26. The victims represented a mix of nationalities, including individuals from Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Trinidad. Reports indicate that two of those killed were construction workers, and surviving workers assisted emergency responders in recovering survivors.
In relation to the construction project, building records indicated that there were various violations noted by inspectors earlier this year. The city's buildings commissioner confirmed that excavation was ongoing at the neighboring lot when the collapse occurred and acknowledged that a stop work order had been issued in March due to insufficient protection measures during demolition. Despite an initial halt, the work reportedly resumed before appropriate corrections had been made, further complicating the situation.
