Excavation Taking Place Next to Brooklyn Building Before Collapse Prompts Investigation

Collapse and rescue efforts

The apartment building fell largely into the open construction pit beside it, officials said. Hundreds of firefighters worked through the night, searching the rubble. The collapse killed eight people. City officials then ordered construction at the neighboring site to stop.

Permits and building plans

Plans for a three-story building had been approved for the site, officials said. Developers had also submitted plans for a nine-story building; previously, the plot held a one-story building.

Investigation and site history

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the Department of Buildings and law enforcement officials would investigate the cause. He described the response as challenging, citing unstable wreckage and dangerous voids beneath the surface.

The department issued a full stop-work order and said its inspectors and engineers were at the scene. Engineers were also checking the structural stability of nearby buildings. In March, the department ordered the property owner to stop demolition after finding inadequate protection for neighboring properties. The order was lifted in August after officials determined that the project team had corrected the violations.