Two dead and 17 injured after a building collapsed in Brooklyn / Firefighters search for survivors among the rubble

A three-story apartment building collapsed on Wednesday in Brooklyn, New York, onto an adjacent construction site, causing the deaths of at least two people and injuring 17 others. Four of the injured are in critical condition, and authorities fear the number of victims will rise.

The incident occurred around 16:00, in the area of the intersection of Newkirk and Flatbush Avenues. Firefighters are continuing to search for people trapped under the rubble, after residents and construction workers were caught by surprise by the collapse. Among the victims are also seven children, but their condition is unknown.

A woman who was six weeks pregnant was pulled out alive by rescue teams. In addition, a family consisting of two adults and two children was rescued from under the debris.

According to authorities, excavation work carried out on the adjacent property may have contributed to the building's collapse, but the exact cause has not been established. More than 250 members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), assisted by search dogs, responded at the scene. Operations are being hampered by the instability of the structure and the risk of a secondary collapse.