At least eight people were confirmed dead early Thursday following a devastating building collapse in Brooklyn, as emergency crews continued a desperate search through the rubble for possible survivors.
According to authorities, six victims were recovered from the debris, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
At least 19 additional people were injured, including four who remain in critical condition, the FDNY reported. The tragedy unfolded shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, when part of the three-story building gave way, collapsing into an adjoining open construction site in the Flatbush neighborhood.
Firefighters carry an injured colleague away from the site of the Brooklyn building collapse as emergency response efforts continue.
Seven children were among those injured, while at least four people sustained critical injuries and five others suffered serious or non-life-threatening wounds, according to officials. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continued.
Officials have yet to release the identities of those killed. However, one man identified his brother, Jose Luis Caguana, as among the victims of the deadly collapse.
The 26-year-old construction worker, who already had a young child, was expecting his second baby with his heavily pregnant wife, his grieving brother, Carlos, told Univision.
Caguana was the sole breadwinner for his family, leaving his wife and children facing an unimaginable loss.
“Her husband has passed away; he was the sole provider for the family,” Carlos said.
