She added that seven of the 19 people affected were children.

At least two people were killed and 17 others injured on Wednesday after a three-story residential building collapsed onto an adjacent construction site in Brooklyn, New York, according to city officials.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:01 pm local time (0201 PKT) at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, triggering a major emergency response, New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore told reporters.

Several people inside the residential building and at the neighbouring construction site were trapped following the collapse, prompting emergency crews to launch search-and-rescue operations.

“We have 19 patients. Sadly, we have two that are deceased, four that are critical, 12 that are stable, and we also have one firefighter with minor injuries,” Bonsignore said.

She added that seven of the 19 people affected were children.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as a “devastating collapse” and warned that the casualty figures could change as rescue operations continued.

He said the city’s Department of Buildings, along with law enforcement agencies, would lead an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.

Emergency personnel remained at the scene, continuing search-and-rescue efforts as officials worked to establish how many people might still be trapped or inside the affected area.