The death toll from the collapse of a three-story apartment building in Brooklyn has risen as hundreds of emergency workers continue to comb through the rubble for survivors.
Five people were killed and 19 others were hospitalized with injuries ranging from critical to minor, the New York City Fire Department confirmed to USA TODAY on Nov. 12. The building collapsed into an adjacent construction site at about 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 11, trapping residents and construction workers beneath the debris.
More than 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded within a minute and began searching the wreckage for survivors. FDNY Chief John Esposito said authorities did not know how many people might still be missing and noted that the massive search operation
could take "several days." Officials cautioned that the number of victims could change.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city's Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies would investigate what caused the deadly collapse.
"This has been an incredibly challenging and fast-moving situation, with precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface," Mamdani said at a news conference.
Who are the victims of Brooklyn building collapse?
Five patients were determined to be dead on arrival, according to the fire department. Of the injured victims, four were hospitalized in critical condition, five had serious but non-life threatening injuries and 10 had minor injuries, officials said.
At least seven children were among the victims, though officials did not specify their conditions or ages. New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said one firefighter was among those who suffered minor injuries.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on social media that her "heart breaks" for the victims and that the state will offer "full support" to the investigation.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Death toll rises in Brooklyn building collapse as search continues
