NEW YORK, Nov. 12 (Lord Media): At least eight people were killed and 19 others injured after a three-story residential building collapsed in New York City’s Brooklyn borough, the city’s fire department said on Thursday.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday in the Flatbush neighborhood, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving around 250 firefighters and emergency workers.

Four of the injured were taken to hospital in critical condition, while seven children were among those hurt, according to Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.

Rescue workers continued searching through the rubble as authorities warned that the operation could be prolonged because the number of people who might remain trapped was unknown.

The building collapsed into an adjacent construction site where workers had been carrying out excavation work, Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings, said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Witnesses described hearing screams and a loud, explosion-like noise as the structure came down. One witness, Melissa Orna, told The New York Times that the building began shaking before collapsing.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised emergency responders for working through dangerous and unstable debris to carry out rescue operations.

The city’s Department of Buildings said inspectors were at the site to assist with recovery efforts and assess the structural stability of nearby buildings.

Tigani said developers had received approval for a three-story building at the site and were seeking permission to construct a nine-story structure. LORD