Engineers Investigate Cause of Building Collapse

New York, NY —

The city is trying to determine what caused a building to collapse in Williamsburg Brooklyn yesterday afternoon. The accident left 11 workers injured, including two who remain in critical condition. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

REPORTER: The owner of the building received a permit in March to raise the roof of the three story apartment building so that the second and third floors could be expanded. Fire officials said scaffolding on the side walls of the building collapsed, taking out the roof support.

Department of Buildings commissioner Susan Hinkson visited the site and said engineers would try to determine the cause of the collapse:

HINKSON: We have to take a look at the rubble. See the pattern of how everything fell and then we can put it together.

REPORTER: The owner has been issued two violations. One was for not having an approved set of plans at the site. Through a spokesman, the owner said all work there met city codes. The city has ordered the building be demolished to ground level. That work began last night.