Newly released footage from a Brooklyn apartment shows the moments before a building collapsed Wednesday, killing eight people and injuring at least 17 others.
The three-story building in Flatbush gave way, triggering a large emergency response. Video recorded inside resident Anderson Velez’s third-floor apartment shows a living room wall crumbling as the unit begins to collapse.
Velez’s 9-year-old son is seen taking milk from the refrigerator while a 2-year-old plays nearby. Then Velez’s wife rushes through a doorway, screaming. The boy runs toward her as the walls around them break apart.
Velez said he remains in shock and is trying to stay strong for his son, though he feels terrible about what happened.
Rescue crews spent hours searching through the rubble before confirming that eight people had died. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least 17 people were injured, including three firefighters. He expressed condolences to the victims’ families and to those grieving or recovering from injuries.
Investigators are also examining construction activity at a neighboring property. The site’s owner has faced questions about previous violations, including reports that a contractor ignored a city stop-work order in March.
New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said excavation was underway at the adjacent Bedford Avenue site when the collapse occurred. He added that plans for a three-story building had been approved, while a proposal for a nine-story structure had not. At the time, excavation was the work taking place at the site.
