At least two people have died and more than 17 others sustained injuries after a three-storey building collapsed at a construction site in Brooklyn, New York City.
The incident happened at around 4pm local time on Wednesday, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation as emergency teams rushed to the scene to search for people trapped beneath the rubble.
More than 250 first responders were deployed to the site along Flatbush Avenue, where a section of the building had given way, leaving concrete debris, twisted metal and household belongings scattered across the area.
Images from the scene showed an entire side of the structure missing, exposing bedrooms and closets to the outside. Clothes and other household items could also be seen among the debris.
Hours after the collapse, firefighters managed to pull a survivor from the wreckage. Aerial footage showed the individual, covered in dust, being carried away on a stretcher as rescue efforts continued.
New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore described the operation as extremely dangerous, noting that people inside the collapsed building and at the nearby construction site were believed to have been trapped.
She said firefighters had continued working carefully since arriving at the scene, with teams carrying out a systematic search for anyone who might still be buried beneath the debris.
"Members have been working methodically and haven't stopped since they arrived this afternoon," Bonsignore said.
The rescue operation involved several emergency teams working under difficult conditions, with officials warning that the unstable structure and heavy debris posed serious risks to those searching for survivors.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also visited the scene and praised the emergency responders for their quick action.
Mamdani said the responders arrived in less than a minute and had spent hours working in dangerous and highly technical conditions to rescue those affected by the collapse.
The cause of the incident remains unknown, with authorities yet to establish what led to the sudden failure of the structure.
According to city records cited by CBS News, the building was constructed in 1930, making it nearly a century old.
Investigations are expected to establish whether the ongoing construction work had any connection to the collapse and whether structural or other safety concerns contributed to the incident.
Meanwhile, emergency teams continued searching through the rubble as authorities worked to account for everyone who may have been inside the building or at the construction site when it came down.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over safety at construction sites, particularly where work is being carried out near existing buildings.
