Overview:
A three-story building collapsed around midday Wednesday at Flatbush and Bedford avenues. Witnesses reported seeing bodies removed from the scene of the collapse late evening.
NEW YORK — A three-story building collapsed at the corner of Flatbush and Bedford avenues in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood around midday Wednesday, leaving at least two dead and 17 injured, authorities at the scene said.
“It is a fast moving situation, the numbers may change as we are working to do rescue,” New York City Mayor New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said while sharing updates about the casualties and rescue operations during a press conference.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known.
From left to right, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Chief Firefighter at the scene, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch at the scene of the building collapse on Flatbush Ave on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Photo by Darlie Gervais / The Haitian Times.
Witnesses said excavation work had been underway on a nearby property before the building collapse. However, city officials had not confirmed whether the excavation contributed to the collapse.
At around 7 p.m. Wednesday, as emergency responders came in and out of the rubble, many bystanders were wailing and calling family members to let them know they are safe.
One witness said the building materials fell on a pregnant pedestrian. The eyewitness said they saw emergency responders remove more than one body, including what appeared to be a woman and a baby placed in separate bags.
The Haitian Times has not independently confirmed the eyewitness accounts.
The building’s first floor housed a cash-transfer business used by many Haitians in the neighborhood.
It was not immediately clear whether employees or customers were inside when the building collapsed.
Police remained at the scene as of late Wednesday night. They have not yet released the number of people affected, details of the rescue operation and the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Several elected city officials were at the scene Wednesday, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Public Advocate Jumaanee Williams.
This is a developing story. The Haitian Times will update it as more information becomes available.
