‘How does a building just fall?’ Neighbours grieve after Brooklyn building collapse

Later on Thursday, a senior official with the New York Police Department identified the victims as Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, 9, Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31, Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10, Barry Mamadou, 23, and Ndiaye Mamadou, 31, according to CBS. They were residents of the building that collapsed.

The other three victims lived elsewhere. Gabriel Siguencia, 22, lived in the Bronx, Edgar Sapon, 26, lived in Hell’s Kitchen and Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26, lived in the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn.

It was around 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) on Wednesday when residents heard a loud boom as the 1930s building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site, where crews were working, according to fire department officials. Two construction workers were among the dead.

The New York City Fire Department was on the scene within one minute of the emergency call, Mamdani said.

Patricia Starek was waiting for her son to come home from school last night when she saw the helicopters near her home. The surge of the emergency responders initially brought back memories of New York during 2001 terrorist attacks. She has lived in Flatbush for 26 years, including during 9/11.

“How does a building just fall into a pit? We all live here with the assumption that stairs are stable, floors are stable, that you can be on your third floor and not have the earth fall below you,” she said.