At least two people were killed and 17 others injured when a three-story building collapsed into an adjacent construction site in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, according to the city’s Fire Department. Four people remain in critical condition.
A massive rescue operation is underway, with firefighters searching for more victims believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. A pregnant woman was among those pulled out alive, according to local media reports.
According to WNBC, the collapse occurred around 4pm near the intersection of Bedford and Flatbush avenues in Brooklyn.
The three-story building, which housed a ground-floor store and apartments above, collapsed into an adjacent construction site where a one-story building had previously been demolished. A nine-story residential and commercial development, comprising 64 apartments, a grocery store and a medical center, was planned for the site.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel are working at the scene. “This will be a prolonged operation,” New York City Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. “Members have been working methodically and haven’t stopped since they arrived this afternoon.”
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