Brooklyn Building Collapse Leaves Eight Dead as Criminal Probe Begins

What happened

A three-story building located on a residential street in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood suffered a catastrophic collapse on Wednesday, November 11. The structure included a business on the ground floor with residential apartments situated across the two upper floors.

The collapse sent rubble crashing into a neighboring construction pit next to the excavation site. Noticeable cracks had previously been observed on the edifice, and building department reports indicated the structure was in poor condition before it came down.

How it unfolded

The New York City Fire Department responded to the collapse just after 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Rescue teams pushed through dangerous conditions into the night following the disaster.

Operations faced severe setbacks on Thursday due to a thunderstorm bringing torrential rain, gusting winds, and falling temperatures. Despite these weather hurdles, officials managed to confirm late Thursday that no further victims remained to be rescued or recovered from the rubble.

The people involved

The disaster claimed the lives of eight people, including six men, a boy, and a girl, with ages ranging from 9 to 31 years old. Among the deceased were at least three construction workers, including José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, who had one child and a pregnant wife.

Authorities officially released the names of all eight victims: Barry Mamadou, 23; Ndiaye Mamadou, 31; José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26; Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10; Nicole Daniela Salvala Rodriguez, nine; Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31; Edgar Sapon, 26; and Gabriel Siguencia, 22. A further 18 people sustained injuries and were transported to area hospitals, with one individual remaining in critical condition on Friday morning.

Several of the victims were undocumented immigrants, creating difficult circumstances for their families. Additionally, residents like young Zariah Coleman voiced anguish over pets left behind in the wreckage, noting that her family had regularly felt shakes in the building from ongoing construction in the adjacent lot.

Response and aftermath

City officials, including the mayor and the Brooklyn district attorney, addressed the community during press conferences to offer support and outline next steps. The Ecuadorian consulate stepped in to assist with transferring the body of José Luis Caguana Cosquillo back to Ecuador.

The Brooklyn district attorney's office, alongside the Department of Buildings and the Department of Investigation, has launched a criminal inquiry into the collapse. Furthermore, the city's buildings commissioner announced that an independent engineering company has been hired to produce a separate report on the disaster.

Bus routes and streets near the collapse site remained closed on Friday, with certain areas cordoned off as the multi-agency investigation continues to widen.

What we still don't know

The exact official cause of the building collapse has not yet been determined. While authorities have pointed to previously reported visible cracks and poor structural condition, as well as proximity to a neighboring excavation and construction site, the definitive trigger remains under investigation.