Eight people have died after a three-storey building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, 11 November. A pregnant woman was among those rescued alive, as emergency crews continued searching the rubble and officials said they did not know how many people remained unaccounted for.

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said six people were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others later died in hospital. Initial reports put the number of injured at 17, including three firefighters. By Thursday afternoon, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said 18 people had been injured, including four firefighters, with one person in critical condition.

The FDNY later told CNN on Thursday that 19 people had been hurt, with four in a critical condition. Seven children were among those treated, the department said.

Officials have not identified those who died or established how many people were inside when the building fell. 'We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone,' FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said at a press conference on Wednesday night.

Brooklyn Building Collapse Search Continues as Rain Approaches

Crews worked through the night using drones, search dogs and specialised equipment to locate anyone who might remain trapped beneath the debris. More bodies were recovered on Thursday morning, CNN reported, after the death toll stood at four on Wednesday night.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday that rescuers were working in 'extremely dangerous conditions'. He said he was heartbroken that eight New Yorkers had died.

Rescuers pulled several people from the debris, including a pregnant woman who was taken to hospital for medical treatment, ABC7 reported. CBS New York reported that the building was occupied by residents and that construction workers were excavating in the adjoining pit when it collapsed. The collapse also tore away the side of a neighbouring building, the outlet said.

FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said emergency responders arrived one minute after the building fell. Rain forecast for the area could complicate the search, CNN reported. Crews continued removing debris as officials warned that the operation would take time.

A man whose pregnant wife had been inside told CBS New York she had been found alive and taken for medical treatment. 'She is alive. She is still alive. I'm very happy,' he said, adding that she was six months pregnant.

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Brooklyn Building Collapse Probe Focuses on Excavation Site

The 96-year-old building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue had a shop at street level with flats above, ABC7 New York reported. It collapsed into an adjacent construction and excavation site at 2625 Bedford Avenue. City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said construction workers had been digging at the neighbouring site earlier that day.

ABC7 reported that city records showed demolition and construction work had continued beside the building for months. City records showed that a demolition contractor received a violation in April after inspectors found that an entire building had been demolished despite an order to stop all demolition work.

The violation was subsequently listed as resolved, although officials have not established whether the earlier demolition work contributed to the collapse.

Residents gathered at the Flatbush YMCA, where volunteers provided food, water and medical support, NY1 reported. Sean Gardner, a volunteer with the Flatbush Seventh Day Adventist Church, said displaced residents were 'still in shock'. The Red Cross was registering people for further assistance, including help finding somewhere to stay.

Ms Bonsignore warned on Wednesday night that the operation would take time. 'We will likely not be finished for some time,' she said. Firefighters remained in the search-and-rescue phase on Thursday, with officials saying they would continue until they were certain nobody remained trapped. The cause of the collapse remained under investigation.

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