Eight people died when a three-story mixed-use building collapsed in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Veterans Day, according to local reports.
Six adults and two children died in the disaster, while more than a dozen others sustained injuries. The collapse struck a diverse immigrant enclave in New York City, affecting families who stayed home on the holiday.
“Eran nuestros amigos y vecinos, padres e hijos, familias jóvenes que construían sus vidas en nuestra ciudad e inmigrantes de México, Colombia, Ecuador, Trinidad y otros países,” declaró el alcalde Zohran Mamdani a los periodistas el jueves, cnnespanol.cnn.com reported.
Heavy rain battered the intersection of Flatbush and Bedford avenues as emergency crews worked at the site. A wall collapsed in an adjacent building during the incident, leaving household items hanging from exposed closets.
Relatives gathered at the Bethesda Church of God in Christ to await news of missing loved ones. Mothers and spouses wept openly as officials confirmed fatalities among the neighborhood’s immigrant population. The church of Pastor Alfred Justin Joseph became an open sanctuary for the injured, the distressed, and the grieving.
“¡Quiero a mi hijo! ¡Quiero a mi hijo!” gritó Leonor Yupa en español cuando supo que su hijo de 22 años figuraba entre los fallecidos, cnnespanol.cnn.com reported. Siguencia había llegado a Nueva York desde Ecuador apenas un mes antes del derrumbe.
Consular officials from Colombia and Ecuador confirmed the deaths of their citizens among the rubble. Local organizations and churches provided shelter, food, and mental health counseling for displaced residents. Non-profit organizations and agencies such as the Red Cross, the New York City Human Resources Administration, and World Central Kitchen assisted affected families with emergency shelter, supplies, and up-to-date information regarding missing persons.
La Comunidad Guineana de Estados Unidos informó que el domingo por la tarde tendrá lugar un acto conmemorativo en una mezquita cercana en honor a dos víctimas, Mamadou Bhoye Barry y Mamadou Bhoye Diaye.
City authorities launched an investigation into the collapse of the structure, which was built in 1930. Inspectors examined both the damaged property and an adjacent construction site.
City officials stated they are inspecting roughly 100 locations tied to the site.
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