At least two people were killed and 17 others injured after a three-storey residential building collapsed into an adjoining construction site in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, November 11, triggering a major rescue operation that officials said could continue for several days.

The building collapsed at about 4pm local time, trapping residents and construction workers beneath the debris, according to New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.

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More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, with some arriving within a minute, and immediately began searching the wreckage for survivors.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the two deaths and said more than 10 injured people had been taken to hospitals.

Their injuries ranged from critical to non-life-threatening.

Bonsignore later said authorities had identified 19 victims, including the two people who died and a firefighter who sustained minor injuries.

Four victims were hospitalised in critical condition, while 12 were listed as stable.

Seven children were among those identified, although officials did not immediately disclose their ages or medical conditions.

Rescue teams continued searching through the rubble into the night, deploying sniffer dogs and carefully removing debris by hand.

Authorities warned that the number of victims could change as the operation progressed.

FDNY Chief John Esposito said officials were still uncertain how many people might be trapped or missing, adding that the search could take several days.

The collapsed structure was a four-unit apartment building dating back to 1930, Reuters reported.

It suffered a complete collapse into an adjoining construction site where excavation work was underway.

New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani confirmed that excavation work had been taking place before the incident.

However, authorities had not established whether the work contributed to the collapse.

Esposito described the scene as unstable, warning that the partially standing adjoining structure posed a risk of a secondary collapse.

He said emergency teams had taken precautions to monitor the remaining structure and prevent further danger to rescue workers and people nearby.

The rescue operation involved firefighters, emergency medical teams, police officers, building officials, utility companies and specialist canine units.

Television footage showed emergency personnel carefully clearing debris, using buckets and search dogs to locate people who might be trapped in pockets beneath the wreckage.

Local television station WABC-TV reported that at least four survivors, including a pregnant woman, were pulled from the rubble between two and two-and-a-half hours after the collapse.

Some witnesses said they heard loud bangs shortly before the building came down.

Anthony Griggs told the New York Post he heard two loud bangs, while another witness, Ace Rogers, gave a similar account to amNY.

Mayor Mamdani described the situation as challenging and fast-moving, citing the unstable wreckage and dangerous voids beneath the debris.

He said the city’s Department of Buildings and law enforcement agencies would investigate the incident to establish what caused the collapse.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, pledging the state’s full support for the investigation.

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As rescue operations continued, officials said their immediate priority was locating anyone still trapped and ensuring that the remaining structure did not collapse.