By Tito Baron Media News Desk
NEW YORK — Eight people were killed and 18 injured when a three-storey residential building collapsed beside a construction site in Brooklyn, with rescue operations ending on Thursday as New York City widened its investigation into companies linked to the neighbouring project.
The toll was reported by Reuters, citing city officials on November 12. Six adults and two children were among the dead. Six victims died at the scene and two later died from their injuries. The injured included four firefighters.
The building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue fell into an adjacent excavation on Wednesday, November 11. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said in the city’s initial official briefing that the emergency call arrived at about 4:01 p.m. and crews responded within a minute. More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel took part in the response.
Victims and workers who helped rescue survivors
Two of those killed were construction workers, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, according to ABC7’s November 12 updates. ABC7’s latest victim report identified the children as a nine-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy; their names had not been released. The six adults were men.
The first person identified by law enforcement was construction worker Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26, ABC7 reported. Other workers who survived helped dig people from the rubble, the mayor said. No complete breakdown of injured workers or other occupants was available in the reports reviewed.
Search concludes; cause remains under investigation
ABC7 New York reported late Thursday that the FDNY had completed its search and handed the site to the Department of Buildings and police. At least four injured people remained in critical condition in that report.
Crews had searched spaces beneath unstable debris while watching for further collapse. FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said at Wednesday’s briefing that the adjoining damaged building posed a continuing hazard to rescuers.
Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said excavation work was under way next door when the building fell. That establishes what activity was taking place, not a final determination of the collapse’s cause. The investigation remained open in the reports reviewed for this story.
Wider checks and help for displaced residents
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city would examine five companies associated with the neighbouring construction project and about 100 other sites connected to them, Reuters reported. Inspectors were being sent to those locations. The mayor pledged accountability if investigators establish responsibility.
ABC7 reported that the adjacent project had an excavation and foundation permit. A Department of Buildings record for 2625 Bedford Avenue, reviewed by Tito Baron Media, records an inspection on November 11 and a full stop-work order served, with a November 12 disposition. Its displayed comment reads: “FULL STOP WORK ORDER DUE TO COLLAPSE.” The record does not set out a final engineering explanation. Part of the neighbouring property at 1323 Flatbush Avenue was also damaged, with an exterior wall torn away.
The Red Cross told ABC7 it had registered 11 adults and two children from six households for emergency support, including temporary accommodation. At Wednesday’s briefing, city officials announced a reception centre at the Flatbush YMCA, 1401 Flatbush Avenue, for affected residents.
Authorities urged the public to avoid the Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue area. People seeking current local assistance or travel information should check NYC311, as arrangements and restrictions can change.
Reporting reflects official statements and news updates available through late November 12, 2026. Casualty figures and the status of the investigation may be revised.
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