Death toll rises to 8 in Brooklyn building collapse as rescuers dig through rubble

Rescuers with dogs searched through the night

Scores of firefighters and police officers wielding pickaxes and power saws worked through the night, clambering over the rubble, punching holes in the ruins to pull dust-covered people from beneath piles of twisted wood and brick.

Rescue dogs sniffed the wreckage and two excavators removed large chunks of debris in the search for survivors. Firefighters filled orange buckets with smaller pieces of debris, passing the buckets down a line.

Heavy rain was forecast on Thursday afternoon, and Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore cautioned that could hinder search and rescue operations.

“It’ll turn to mud,” she told WNYW-TV, vowing firefighters would work through the rain if necessary.

Much of the collapsed building — a mixed-use structure with apartments sitting atop ground-floor commercial space — wound up in a huge pile inside the adjacent construction pit. Another building that shared a wall with the collapsed structure remained standing, but its wall was shorn off, exposing the rooms inside, including a bedroom and closets filled with clothing.

About 250 firefighters were working the scene, Mamdani said.

On Wednesday night, firefighters pulled a pregnant woman from the rubble, hoisted her up on a stretcher and rushed her to a waiting ambulance. Other survivors were pulled from beneath the pile as the night went on.

Bonsignore said the rescue teams were performing “dangerous and perilous” work. “Every move is choreographed,” she said.

Man identifies his brother as of those killed at the construction site

Luis Caguana, 26, who was working at the construction site, died in the collapse, his brother told WNBC-TV.

He was an immigrant from Ecuador who had been in the U.S. for about six years, Carlos Caguana said. He had a pregnant wife and a young child.

“Her husband has passed away; he was the sole provider for the family. Now that he’s gone, she is going through an immense amount of pain. She is in a very bad state right now — she’s completely overwhelmed and can’t even find the words to speak,” Caguana said.

City found violations at the construction site earlier this year

The city Department of Buildings is investigating the cause of the collapse. New York City’s buildings commissioner, Ahmed Tigani, noted Wednesday that construction workers were excavating an empty lot next door when the building collapsed.

The architect, property owner and general contractor listed in city records have not responded to phone and email messages seeking comment.

City officials said a stop work order was issued in March after inspectors concluded the building was being demolished without adequate overhead protection such as netting and sheds to shield neighboring buildings, the department said in an emailed statement.

In April, inspectors found that the demolition work had resumed in violation of the stop work order, the department said. Work was allowed to continue in May after the problems were corrected, it said.

The developers have active permits for excavation and foundation work.

Buildings Department inspectors and engineers were at the site Thursday helping first responders with recovery efforts and an investigation is underway, the department said.

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Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.

Yuki Iwamura, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Death toll rises to 8 in Brooklyn building collapse as rescuers dig through rubble

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