Warning signs before the fall: Inside the investigation into the Flatbush collapse
Officials say 250 fire and EMS personnel responded to the collapse of a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. just after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
More Stories
A nearly century-old Flatbush building had a documented history of problems before it came crashing down Wednesday. Now, as investigators work to determine what caused the collapse that killed eight people, including two children, the property’s history is drawing renewed scrutiny.
The three victims who lived at 1321 Flatbush Ave. have been identified as Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, Ndiaye Mamdadou and Barry Mamdadou.
People say the other three adults did not live in the building. They have been identified as 23-year-old Gabriel Siguencia of the Bronx, Edgar Sapon, of Manhattan, and Jose Luis Caguana Cosquillo, of Brooklyn.
Police say 9-year-old Nicole Daniela Salvada-Rodriguez and 10-year-old Kevin Santiago Reyes-Gonzalez both died at the hospital.
Two of the deceased were construction workers at the site, according to officials.
A total of 18 people were injured, including 14 civilians and four firefighters. The vast majority remain hospitalized in stable condition, except one person who is listed in critical condition.
The FDNY posted on X Thursday saying rescue operations have concluded.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams tells News 12 that the investigation is raising concerns about more than just the construction work happening next door.
“You know, what we’re finding is just not good. I think some of the things we’ve seen on the construction side and on the landlord’s side as well.”
City records show the neighboring construction site at 1321 Flatbush Ave. was permitted to build a three-story structure and had 98 open HPD violations.
But the questions don’t stop at the construction site.
Williams says the collapsed building’s owner, Olufemi Falade, had previously appeared on a city watch list over concerns involving the property.
“We found out, you know, the owner of property was on, was found on the watch list, for a few years in, in the past few years, with some serious concerns, serious violations even right now.”
The property is also under scrutiny after photographs surfaced showing cracks in the nearly century-old building months before it collapsed.
With the city’s investigation now underway, officials are working to determine what role, if any, the building’s condition, its ownership history and the neighboring construction activity played in the tragedy.
NYS Tenant Bloc Executive Director Sumathy Kumar released the following statement in wake of the incident:
“The deaths of 8 people in yesterday’s building collapse are a terrible loss for New York City. We mourn the lives that were taken from the Flatbush community, and the 17 people who were injured are in our thoughts. Yesterday’s preventable tragedy stresses the urgency of taking buildings out of the hands of bad landlords who are looking to make quick profits at the expense of people’s safety. Slumlord Olufemi Falade has a notorious 20 year track record of tenant neglect and at the time of 1321’s collapse the property had 61 open HPD violations. We need better and faster tools to hold landlords accountable and to make sure that buildings are properly maintained and managed. As the neighborhood looks towards rebuilding, this tragedy also highlights the need for dignified, high quality housing built with union labor, which is why we are fighting for social housing across the city and state."
Gov. Kathy Hochul assures the public that investigators are hard at work.
“City officials are leading the investigation,” she said. “New Yorkers deserve to know how and why this happened. They'll get to the bottom of it. And we will make sure that we support them in any way.”
