BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A woman who is six months pregnant was pulled alive from the rubble of a deadly building collapse in Brooklyn, and her husband’s emotional reaction was caught on camera.
The three-story building in the Flatbush neighborhood came down Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 11. At least eight people have died and at least 17 others were injured, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“She Is Still Alive”
As rescue crews searched the wreckage Wednesday evening, a man ran down Flatbush Avenue looking for his wife. He tried to get past officers to reach her but was moved to a safe area so first responders could keep working.
He told police and reporters he hadn’t heard anything, and that his wife was inside the building and pregnant.
At about 6:30 p.m., more than two hours into the rescue, she was found alive. Crews placed her on a stretcher and took her by ambulance for medical treatment.
The man broke down in tears and embraced someone nearby. “She is alive, she is still alive,” he said, before thanking the rescuers.
The couple has not been identified, and the woman’s condition has not been released.
What Happened
The first 911 call came in at 4:01 p.m. A three-story building at the corner of Flatbush and Bedford avenues collapsed into an excavation site next door, where construction workers were on the job.
The collapse also sheared the wall off a neighboring three-story building, exposing the apartments inside. That building is still standing. The collapsed building had a store at street level and apartments upstairs.
Six people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more died at the hospital overnight. Four victims recovered Thursday appear to be construction workers, officials said. Officials said a group of workers had been right under the building before it fell.
Two young children are among the dead, officials said. Seven children were among those treated, and three firefighters were also hurt.
“There are no words for a loss of this magnitude,” Mamdani said.
A reception center has been set up at the Flatbush YMCA for people displaced or affected by the collapse.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and officials say others may still be missing.
What Caused It?
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The cause of the collapse is under investigation by the city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement.
City records show demolition and construction work had been going on for months next to the 96-year-old building. Officials said the site was approved for a three-story building, while plans for a nine-story mixed-use building had not yet been approved.
According to Department of Buildings records, the construction site received one summons in April, and a stop-work order was allegedly violated but later resolved. WABC found no building violations for the building that collapsed.
Construction safety expert Glenn Corbett of John Jay College, who has not investigated the site, said digging next to older buildings always raises concerns. “There’s always an issue of stability,” he said.
The investigation remains ongoing.