First victim of Brooklyn collapse identified: two children among the eight dead

The first fatal victim of the Brooklyn collapse now has a name: José Luis Caguana, a 26-year-old Ecuadorian construction worker and father whose wife is about to give birth. His brother Carlos confirmed to local media that Caguana was working at the neighboring construction site when the building came down.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that among the eight dead are six adults and two children: a 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl. Six people died at the scene and two more died at nearby hospitals, according to the mayor.

At least 17 people were injured, including seven minors and three firefighters, and four are in critical condition. Rescuers kept searching through the rubble on Thursday, in the rain, and Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore stressed that the operation remains in search-and-rescue phase, not recovery.

The three-story building, built in 1930 at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, collapsed on Wednesday at around 4:00 p.m. onto the neighboring lot, where workers were excavating to build a new building. The Department of Buildings ordered a full stop-work order on that excavation, at 2625 Bedford Avenue, while the cause is investigated.

Mamdani asked anyone searching for a loved one to call 311. The search could last several days, and heavy rain is expected on Thursday between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Follow-up to Brooklyn rescue races against the clock: investigators probe the excavation next door and a prior fine on the contractor.

Photo: El Nuevo Día

Source: New York Post