Two people have been killed and at least 17 others injured, including seven children, after a three-storey building collapsed near a construction site in New York on Wednesday.
The collapse occurred in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where the building fell into an adjacent excavation site, trapping several people beneath the rubble.
New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said emergency crews worked for several hours to rescue those trapped, using drones, search dogs and chainsaws.
Bonsignore confirmed that two people had died, while 17 others sustained injuries. Four of the injured victims were in critical condition.
She warned that the rescue operation could be prolonged, as authorities were still uncertain about how many people remained trapped in the affected area.
More than 250 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene, according to the FDNY.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised emergency responders for their efforts, highlighting the dangerous conditions they faced while navigating unstable rubble and potentially hazardous spaces beneath the debris.
He also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion-like noise before the building came down.
One witness, identified only as Anthony, told PIX11 News that he heard people screaming before hearing a sound resembling a bomb.
Another witness, Melissa Orna, told The New York Times that the building began shaking before collapsing.
The city's Department of Buildings confirmed that inspectors were at the scene assisting with recovery efforts and assessing the structural stability of nearby buildings.
Department Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers had been carrying out excavation work when the collapse occurred.
He added that developers had received approval for a three-storey building at the site but were also seeking permission to construct a nine-storey building.