11 Injured in Brooklyn Building Collapse

Brooklyn, NY —

A three story residential building collapsed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this afternoon. Eleven workers were injured and one is in critical condition. The City's Department of Buildings says the owner of the Meserole Street building received a permit in March to make the building higher, do some demolition work, and replace windows.

Borough Commissioner Susan Hinkson says her agency is trying to determine whether the owner was working within the confines of that permit:

HINKSON: But right now our biggest concern is safeguarding the site, making sure that nothing else collapses and continuing from there.

REPORTER: Two adjacent buildings have been temporarily evacuated while building engineers and inspectors check their stability.

A spokesman for the owner says the building was purchased about a year ago after it was abandoned by a prior owner. He says all necessary rules for performing the work were being followed.