Disaster on Flatbush Avenue
At 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, a three-storey mixed-use residential and commercial building collapsed on Wednesday afternoon at around 4:00 pm. According to initial official reports, at least eight people died in the disaster, while 17 others sustained injuries. Rescue crews from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and other emergency services continued searching the rubble for victims the following day.
The official cause of the collapse has not yet been definitively established and requires comprehensive investigations. The affected structure collapsed directly into an excavation pit on the neighbouring plot at 2625 Bedford Avenue. Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated at a press conference on Wednesday evening that the fire department responded within one minute of the emergency call and immediately initiated search and rescue operations. He described the situation at the scene as extraordinarily challenging and dynamic.
History of regulatory complaints
Records from the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) confirm that the adjoining development site at 2625 Bedford Avenue had already come to attention in the past for safety deficiencies. A stop-work order had previously been imposed on the site, alongside a fine of $10,000. During inspections in May 2026, inspectors cited infractions including the absence of mandatory protective measures for neighbouring properties.
A notice from the department dating from April also documents that those responsible for the project had continued demolition work despite an officially ordered stop-work order. Only after settling the $10,000 fine were activities permitted to resume normally at the time. The DOB has currently ordered a renewed stop-work order for the property. Demolition work on the site commenced in September of last year, whilst excavation works began in September of this year.
The development site on Bedford Avenue was acquired in 2024 for $4 million by Judy Swimer and Faigy Fischman via the corporate vehicles JS1024 LLC and FF1632 LLC. In the most recent registers of the building authority, Robert Fischman is listed as the owner of the scheme. In October, the developers submitted plans for a nine-storey mixed-use new build intended to house 64 residential units. Those involved in the project were not immediately available for comment.
