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Brooklyn building collapse: Records reveal lawsuits against next-door contractor
City work permits and state court records reveal a history of lawsuits and safety concerns involving Townhouse Builders, the general contractor working next door to the Flatbush building that collapsed, killing eight people.
BROOKLYN - The landlord of the Brooklyn building that collapsed on Wednesday, killing eight people, appeared on New York City's annual Worst Landlord Watchlist six times over the past decade, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams announced on Saturday.
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Families who lived in Brooklyn collapsed building demand accountability
Families with ties to the building in Flatbush stood side-by-side demanding to know how this catastrophic collapse happened. FOX 5 NY’s Teresa Priolo was there to hear their emotional plea.
What we know:
According to the Public Advocate's Office, Olufemi Falade is registered with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) as the head officer for 1321 Flatbush Ave.
Williams' office said Falade made six appearances on the Worst Landlord Watchlist over the last 10 years, ranking as high as No. 50 in 2020. His past rankings on the list include:
2024: No. 95
2022: No. 100
2021: No. 68
2020: No. 50
2019: No. 66
2017: No. 93
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Brooklyn building collapse: Investigation latest, what’s next for victims and families
Two days after the tragic Brooklyn building collapse that claimed eight lives, FOX 5 NY’s Frances Wang joins Newsroom Live to discuss the ongoing investigation, the construction work that was underway and what comes next for the victims and their families.
The watchlist ranks private landlords based on the average monthly number of open HPD housing code violations across their buildings.
What they're saying:
In a statement, Williams called for full accountability if negligence played a role in the deadly collapse.
"The Worst Landlords in our city routinely put profit over people, and negligence can put lives at risk," Williams said. "While we don’t yet know exactly what caused the collapse that claimed the lives of our neighbors and devastated our city, Olufemi Falade has a documented record of failing to maintain properties. It is essential that any negligence which may have contributed be identified, everyone responsible held accountable, and preventative action taken to save lives in the future."
The backstory:
The tragedy happened in a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush on Wednesday afternoon. The collapse caused damage to a neighboring building as well.
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Security video captures Brooklyn apartment building collapsing in Flatbush
Ring camera footage captured the moment an apartment building suddenly collapsed in Flatbush, Brooklyn, leaving eight people dead, including children, and 18 others injured. Search and rescue efforts have concluded with everyone accounted for. Investigators from the Department of Buildings and law enforcement are now examining whether excavation at an adjacent construction site triggered the collapse. FOX 5 NY's Nikki Hauser reports.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that six bodies were found in the rubble and two more victims were pronounced dead at a local hospital. The eight victims include six adults and two children.
Two of the victims who died were construction workers at the adjacent construction site at 2625 Bedford Avenue.
Mamdani said 18 people were injured, including four firefighters, with one person still in critical condition. FDNY said seven of the people injured were children. One of the victims rescued from the wreckage is a pregnant woman.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet determined what caused the building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. to collapse.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Office of the New York City Public Advocate and FOX 5 NY's previous reporting.