Overview
- A three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, collapsed into an adjacent construction pit on Wednesday, killing eight people and injuring about 18, including children and firefighters.
- FDNY led search-and-rescue operations and has moved to recovery mode while the Department of Buildings, Housing Preservation and Development and law enforcement open technical and permit probes of the collapse.
- Reporting and city records show the building had 98 open HPD housing-code violations at the time of the collapse and that owner Olufemi Falade has a long enforcement history including a 2006 civil-contempt sentence.
- Published reports say DOB approved excavation plans in March 2026 for the neighboring site at 2625 Bedford Avenue that included shoring for much of the lot but lacked reinforcements directly next to 1321 Flatbush, and officials have not yet determined causation.
- Public officials including the city’s Public Advocate and the mayor are demanding accountability as investigators review permits, on-site shoring, ownership records and outstanding fines and debts tied to the property.