Authorities investigate whether 'criminal conduct' contributed to deadly Brooklyn building collapse

Authorities are investigating whether any "criminal conduct" contributed to the collapse of a building in Brooklyn that killed eight people.

In a post on X, Brooklyn district attorney Eric Gonzalez said his team was working closely with the Department of Buildings and police to examine the collapse of the three-storey building on Wednesday.

He said they were seeking to "determine whether any criminal conduct contributed to this tragedy".

Six people were found dead in the wreckage and two others died later from their injuries, city officials told reporters at the scene.

Among the dead were two Colombian children, according to the country's consulate in the city.

New York police identified the children as Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, 9, and Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10.

Two men from Ecuador, Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26, and Gabriel Siguencia, 22, were among the deceased, according to the local Ecuadorian consulate.

The others killed were named by police as Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31; Ndiaye Mamadou, 31; Barry Mamadou, 23; and Edgar Sapon, 26.

At least ⁠18 people, including four of the firefighters who led the rescue effort, were injured in the collapse and its aftermath, officials said.

Around 250 rescuers were reported to have been involved in the search for survivors on Thursday, with at least two excavators seen clearing debris under pouring rain.

The city's fire department has since announced that its rescue mission is completed and that no more victims remain in the rubble.

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New York mayor Zohran Mamdani earlier said the city would examine five companies associated with a construction site adjacent to the collapse and 100 more sites connected with those entities.

The construction site was undergoing excavation work that started earlier this year, historical satellite imagery showed.

An official notice filed by a construction company in September informed authorities that the earthwork included "rock blasting".

The apartment building, which Mayor Mamdani said was home to several immigrant families, was built in 1930 and consisted of four residential units, according to official records.

Three other addresses were evacuated on the same side of the street as a precaution after the collapse, which also destroyed a wall of an adjacent residential building.

(c) Sky News 2026: Authorities investigate whether 'criminal conduct' contributed to deadly Brooklyn building c