What happened in the Flatbush building collapse

A three-storey residential building collapsed in full in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on Wednesday 11 November 2026. The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said it received a call about the collapse at 2625 Bedford Avenue just after 4 p.m. local time. The building fell into a hole on the next lot, where workers had been digging earlier that day for a new building. Two people were killed and at least 19 were injured, including seven children, FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said at a press conference at the site late on Wednesday.

The collapse drew wide attention online. Brooklyn, FDNY and Building Collapse were among the top trends on X in the United States and Canada on Thursday 12 November, and Brooklyn also trended worldwide. That attention is understandable: a building falling in a busy residential street, in daylight, with people inside, is the kind of event that stops a city.

The numbers changed as the evening went on. Early reports put the toll at one person killed and 10 injured. By late Wednesday the FDNY confirmed two deaths and at least 19 injuries. Ten of the injured were taken to local hospitals with injuries that ranged from critical to non-life-threatening, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. The figures may still change as rescue work continues, so this article uses the lowest figures officials have confirmed so far, and says "at least" where the total is not yet final. Follow today's incidents as the picture develops.

The rescue effort

FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said crews arrived one minute after the building came down. Firefighters used dogs to search the pile of debris for people still trapped. Commissioner Bonsignore was direct about the scale of the task: "We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone," she said. "We will likely not be finished for some time." That uncertainty is normal in the first hours after a collapse, when voids in the rubble can hide survivors and the structure can still move.

Councilmember Farah Louis, who represents the area, described a chaotic scene late on Wednesday evening, with rubble spread along Flatbush and Bedford Avenues and children being carried out on stretchers to ambulances. Photographs from the scene showed almost all of the building had fallen into the next-door construction site, leaving part of a neighbouring building sheared off, with a stairway and clothes in a closet exposed to the open air.

Why the building fell — what is known, and what is not

The cause is under investigation, and no official cause has been given. What officials have said is that the building collapsed into an excavation on the adjacent lot. Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers had been digging there earlier in the day, and that a developer had submitted plans for a nine-storey building on the site that had not yet been approved. The Department of Buildings and law enforcement partners will lead the investigation, Mayor Mamdani said, and buildings officials were at the scene on Wednesday evening.

It is too early to say whether the excavation caused the collapse, or whether other factors played a part. That question is for the investigation, and it will take time. Readers should treat claims on social media about the cause with care until the Department of Buildings reports its findings. Buildings do not always give clear warning before they fail, but our guide to building collapse warning signs explains what to look for in a building that may be in trouble — cracks, leaning walls, sticking doors and water damage.

This is not the first building collapse we have covered this year. In October, a tower fell in Eastleigh, Nairobi, leaving seven people missing, and a school roof collapsed in Peshawar. You can read our reports on the Nairobi building collapse and the Peshawar school roof collapse for how those investigations unfolded.

Roads, shelter and the weather

Flatbush Avenue was closed between Clarendon Avenue and Bedford Avenue while rescue work went on, and the mayor urged New Yorkers to avoid the area. The city's Office of Emergency Management worked with the Red Cross to open a reception centre for people affected at the Flatbush YMCA, 1401 Flatbush Avenue. Anyone displaced by the collapse could go there for help and information.

The weather added to the risk. Former FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh told WNYC that storms forecast for Thursday could make the rescue harder, because rain and wind can make a damaged site less stable. Rescue teams working in and around rubble have to watch for shifting debris, and bad weather can slow the search and put crews at risk.

What to do if a building collapses near you

If you are near a collapse, move away from the building and out of the path of falling debris, and call the emergency services. Do not go back inside a damaged building, and do not climb on to the rubble to search for people yourself. Untrained rescuers can be hurt by shifting debris, and they can get in the way of crews with dogs and listening equipment. Stay clear so that fire, police and ambulance crews can work, and follow the instructions of officials at the scene. Keep emergency numbers saved in your phone before you need them.

If you are caught in dust from a collapse, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth if you can, and move to fresh air. If someone is injured, keep them still and warm if it is safe to do so, and wait for trained help. Knowing basic first aid helps in the minutes before an ambulance arrives — our guide to sprains, strains and fractures explains how to tell them apart and what to do first. A stocked kit helps too: see our emergency kit checklist.

Check on neighbours, but do it from a safe distance and through official channels where possible. If your home is near a damaged building, follow the advice of the buildings department and the emergency services about whether it is safe to stay. Do not use lifts in a damaged building, and report cracks, leaning walls or gas smells to the authorities at once.

What our records show, and what they miss

Our records track incidents as officials report them, and this collapse is now part of that picture: a residential building collapse in a major city, with deaths, many injuries and a long rescue. What the records show is the shape of the event — where it happened, when, and how many people were hurt. What they miss is the detail that only an investigation can give: why the building fell, whether the excavation next door played a part, and whether warning signs were missed. They also miss the longer story: how long displaced residents stay out of their homes, and what changes follow for building safety. Those answers will come from the investigation and follow-up reporting. Read how we track every incident on Earth to understand what our records can and cannot show.

The short version

  • A three-storey residential building at 2625 Bedford Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, collapsed on Wednesday 11 November 2026, just after 4 p.m.
  • At least two people were killed and at least 19 injured, including seven children, according to the FDNY.
  • Rescue crews, including search dogs, were still working through the rubble late on Wednesday, and officials did not know how many people were still in the collapse zone.
  • The building fell into an excavation on the next lot; the Department of Buildings is investigating the cause.
  • Flatbush Avenue was closed between Clarendon and Bedford Avenues, and a reception centre opened at the Flatbush YMCA, 1401 Flatbush Avenue.