The death toll from a Brooklyn building collapse rose to eight overnight, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.
Nineteen people were injured in the incident, including firefighters, according to the governor’s office. Hochul said seven or eight children were involved in the collapse, and she noted that casualty numbers could still rise as the scope of the event comes into focus.
The New York Fire Department arrived on the scene one minute after the collapse occurred, Hochul said. New York City officials are leading the investigation into how and why the building fell, and investigators are already at work.
The governor said the state has offered its full support to city officials as search and investigation efforts continue.