Crime & Safety
Worker Killed In Brooklyn Residential Building Collapse Friday: FDNY
A worker died Friday after the first floor of a Borough Park building collapsed, and officials said a stop-work order was violated.
BROOKLYN, NY — A construction worker died after a residential building partially collapsed early Friday afternoon in Brooklyn's Borough Park section, officials said.
Police and fire officials told Patch that a two-story residential building was under construction at 1266 50th Street, when the first floor collapsed into the cellar. Multiple people began calling 911 at approximately 12:09 p.m.
Three people were inside when the middle of the floor collapsed, Assistant Chief Joseph Ferrante said. One worker was trapped under the rubble, and firefighters shored up the collapsed floor and dug out dirt from underneath him to remove him. Officials said the man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Video posted to the Citizen app showed a large police and fire presence converged onto the street, and firefighters creating a path to get out of the residence.
No other injuries were reported, and the Department of Buildings and New York City Police will take over the investigation.
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Approximately 80 FDNY personnel were on scene, officials said. The Office of Emergency Management advised people to avoid the area, as well as to expect travel delays, shortly after 1 p.m.
Department of Buildings records show that a partial stop work order had been issued for exterior work at the site, and the building owner was issued a $2,500 penalty for working without a permit on Jan. 4.
Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo said the only work that should have been taking place there "was to make the site safe," and that there had been two recent complaints at the site.
"This fatality absolutely should not have happened," he said. "They should not have been doing this work."
He said violating a stop-work order could cost the owners of the building up to $25,000 in fines, in addition to other potential violations.
The FDNY has now requested an inspection due to the collapsed floor, and did not have an estimated reason why the beam of the floor gave in.
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