Family’s miracle survival as terrifying video shows NYC building collapse from inside apartment as neighbors acknowledge warning signs in weeks before tragedy

A three-storey building in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighbourhood collapsed around 4pm on Wednesday while construction workers were digging on an adjacent site, killing eight people and injuring 18. Video from inside an apartment shows a family caught in the collapse; two children survived, while their mother and nine-year-old were taken to hospital.

Residents said nearby homes had been shaking since construction began about a month earlier, and one neighbour said residents had complained about the project for months. The building’s landlord was criticised by a local council member and a housing advocate over alleged neglect and code violations. Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered inspections at about 100 other city sites linked to companies involved in the construction, and said those responsible would be held accountable.