A family narrowly escaped death when a three-storey apartment building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York, with frightening footage capturing the moment the walls of their home began crumbling around them.
The collapse occurred at approximately 4pm on Wednesday in the Flatbush neighbourhood, leaving eight people dead and 18 others injured.
The newly released video shows Anderson Velez’s family, including his two young sons, aged nine and two, inside their apartment as the building began falling apart.
Velez was away from home when the incident happened, but his wife and children were inside.
He later confirmed that his wife and nine-year-old son were taken to hospital, while his two-year-old escaped without injuries.
Neighbours Reported Persistent Shaking Before Disaster
Residents living close to the construction site said they had experienced repeated disturbances in the weeks leading up to the collapse.
A 44-year-old man who has lived in an adjacent building for seven years claimed his home had been shaking every day since construction work began nearby about a month earlier.
He told the US Sun that the vibrations and noise had become a regular occurrence, saying residents could hear and feel the construction activity almost constantly.
Dervie Mapp, a 67-year-old retiree who lives alongside the construction site, said residents had complained about the project for months.
Mapp witnessed the building collapse and described seeing people running out of an excavation pit while screaming for help.
She said she froze as she watched the entire structure come down. According to her, her landlord had previously arranged for engineers to inspect the building, but residents were never given a copy of the inspection report.
Eight Victims Identified Following Fatal Collapse
Authorities have identified all eight people who died in the disaster, including two Colombian children.
The New York City Police Department identified the children as Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, nine, and Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10.
The Ecuadorian consulate in New York and police confirmed the deaths of José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26, and Gabriel Siguencia, 22.
The other victims were identified as Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31, Ndiaye Mamadou, 31, Barry Mamadou, 23, and Edgar Sapon, 26.
Caguana Cosquillo was an Ecuadorian migrant father whose wife was heavily pregnant at the time of his death.
Survivors Describe Terrifying Moments as Building Came Down
Residents who survived the collapse described the sudden destruction and the confusion that followed.
James Williams, who was inside his third-floor apartment with his wife when the building collapsed, said they initially heard a rumbling sound before discovering that the outside of their home had disappeared.
Speaking to 1010 WINS, Williams recalled opening the door and seeing the destruction.
He later noticed a bright light before emergency responders arrived to rescue him.
He said residents had been left traumatised by the incident, explaining that they had been living their normal lives moments before the building suddenly came down.
Emergency crews worked through enormous piles of rubble to reach survivors and recover victims.
Footage from the rescue operation also showed firefighters pulling a pregnant woman from the debris before rushing her to a waiting ambulance.
Construction Work Had Previously Attracted Safety Violations
The collapsed property was built in the 1930s and contained residential apartments above a commercial unit on the ground floor.
Building records cited by the Associated Press showed that the upper two floors contained four apartments, while a business occupied the ground floor.
The structure stood beside a vacant lot where a one-storey building had previously been demolished to make way for a construction project.
New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said workers were excavating the adjacent property when the collapse occurred.
City officials disclosed that inspectors had issued a stop-work order in March after finding that the neighbouring building was being demolished without sufficient overhead protection, including netting to shield nearby properties.
In April, inspectors discovered that demolition activities had resumed despite the order.
The construction work was subsequently allowed to continue in May after officials said the identified problems had been corrected.
Landlord Faces Questions Over Property’s Condition
Questions have also emerged about the condition of the collapsed building and the responsibilities of its landlord, Olufemi Falade.
According to CBS News, the property had 98 outstanding housing violations, including complaints involving bedbugs and leaks.
Sumathy Kumar, executive director of New York State Tenant Bloc and Housing Justice for All, described the landlord as having a history of neglecting tenants.
City Councilmember Farah Louis, who represents the affected area, also criticised Falade, describing him as a problematic landlord who failed to maintain his properties according to required standards.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said his office was investigating troubling reports about the property and its owner.
He added that Falade may have appeared on the city’s worst landlord watchlist in a recent year.
Mayor Orders Inspections at 100 Construction Sites
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Thursday that he had ordered inspections at approximately 100 other construction sites across the city.
The inspections will involve sites connected to companies associated with the project next to the collapsed building.
Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani said the city would hold any individuals or organisations responsible for the disaster fully accountable.
He also confirmed that 18 people had sustained injuries, including 14 civilians and four firefighters.
Most of the injured were receiving hospital treatment and remained in stable condition, although one person was reported to be in critical condition.
Construction work at the adjacent site has since been halted following the disaster.
Authorities Investigate Possible Criminal Responsibility
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez confirmed that his office was working with the Department of Buildings and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The investigation will examine whether any criminal conduct contributed to the disaster.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also called for answers, describing the incident as horrific and saying residents deserved to know how and why the building collapsed.
Authorities are continuing to examine the construction activities, the property’s history of violations and the events that led to the deaths of eight people.
