Two people killed in collapse of three-story building in New York

Two people were killed and 17 others injured in the collapse of a three-story building in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Among the injured are seven children. These figures were provided by New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore at a press conference, Reuters reports.

According to her, a total of 19 people were injured in the incident, including one firefighter who sustained minor injuries. Of them, 12 are in stable condition and four are in critical condition. New York Fire Chief John Esposito said that the search-and-rescue operation and the clearing of the rubble could take several days. According to him, the work is complicated by the instability of the structure and the threat of a further collapse of the neighboring building.

Esposito called the situation extremely unstable and noted that rescuers will remain at the scene until the inspection of the area is completed and the possible presence of other victims under the rubble is checked.

The building collapsed on the afternoon of November 11 in the Flatbush neighborhood. The call came in to the fire department at 4:01 p.m. local time. Specialized rescue units were dispatched to the scene.