Reception center opens at YMCA for Brooklyn families displaced by building collapse

Reception center opens at YMCA for Brooklyn families displaced by building collapse Sonia Rincon has more. WABC By Sonia Rincón Thursday, November 12, 2026 4:41AM Share Follow abc7NY on Google FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- At least eight households were displaced Wednesday after a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. collapsed into a neighboring construction site , according to city officials. The city is making resources available at the Flatbush YMCA for people displaced by the collapse who are not hospitalized, including mental health services. One of the most harrowing accounts came from a construction worker who was at the site when the building collapsed. Speaking in Spanish, the worker said, "family, there's been a terrible accident here at work." Holding a small child, the carpenter shared videos recorded shortly after the collapse with family members from inside the construction site, where he had been working only since Monday. In the videos, he can be heard wondering whether his injured co-workers were OK and whether everyone had been found. Luis Tigsilema, the brother of the construction worker, said his brother told him he picked up a child who had come from the collapsed building. By Wednesday night, at least eight households had been displaced. Some lived in 1321 Flatbush Ave., the three-story building that collapsed into the excavation pit at the construction site next door. Follow live blog updates on abc7NY Other displaced families lived at 1323 Flatbush Ave., where part of the building's wall was torn away, exposing apartments. The American Red Cross was registering displaced residents at the Flatbush YMCA on Wednesday night. The city's buildings commissioner was seen entering the facility to speak with residents. Nearby workers and residents described the scene after the collapse. "It looked like September 11th to me when I looked outside," said Marie Valcourt, who works nearby. Anthony Griggs, who lives in the area, said he witnessed the collapse moments after hearing loud cracking sounds. "By the time I got to there, that corner, the whole building collapsed and I thought the building was going to fall on me. Just a couple of bricks hit that my foot, but I'm OK," Griggs said. The intersection, normally crowded with traffic and shoppers, remained filled with emergency vehicles hours after the collapse. "My heart is still beating fast, I'm not gonna even lie," Griggs said. Brooklyn building collapse: 2 dead, 17 injured in Flatbush 2 minutes ago NYC snow forecast: Not a nor'easter, but snow to the north | Updates from Eyewitness News 24 minutes ago AccuTrack Radar Live Griggs said he was walking home when he heard two loud cracking sounds before the building collapsed, sending bricks into his foot. He said the construction site had long been a noisy nuisance but that he never imagined a collapse like this would occur. ---------- * More Brooklyn news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Download our connected TV app Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics NEW YORK CITY FLATBUSH BROOKLYN BUILDING COLLAPSE COLLAPSE RESCUE FDNY Watch Live ON NOW Brooklyn building collapse live updates: 2 dead, 17 hurt 2 minutes ago Coastal storm live updates: Rain and a taste of winter on the way 24 minutes ago AccuTrack Radar Live At least 2 dead, 17 hurt after Brooklyn building collapse 31 minutes ago Pregnant woman rescued alive from building collapse, husband says 28 minutes ago