New York Archbishop calls for prayers after deadly Brooklyn building collapse

New York Archbishop Roland Hicks urged the faithful Nov. 12 to pray for those affected by the collapse of a Brooklyn apartment building that killed eight people and injured 17 others.

The three-story building collapsed shortly after 4 p.m. Nov. 11 as workers were excavating at a neighboring construction site, according to WABC, a local ABC affiliate.

In a Nov. 12 X post, the archbishop said, “My prayers are with all those affected by the tragic building collapse in Brooklyn. I entrust those who lost their lives to the Lord's loving mercy, and I pray for their families and friends.”

The archbishop expressed gratitude for the emergency personnel who responded to the collapse and prayed for their continued safety. 

“May the Lord, who is close to the brokenhearted, console those who mourn and sustain our community in the days ahead,” he concluded.

The apartments, which sat above a ground-floor store, fell into the neighboring construction site, following what USA Today reported was due to "unsafe construction operations at the adjacent property.”  

The New York Times reported that a neighborhood resident recalled hearing what she described as "loud pops" from the construction site about an hour before the collapse.

Hundreds of firefighters searched the rubble overnight for survivors, according to the Times. Four victims recovered Nov. 12 were believed to be construction workers, WABC reported. Seven children were among those treated at local hospitals and two of the injured remained in critical condition.

Local officials have also raised questions about accountability. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said the immediate focus was helping affected families and those critically injured.

“Our focus is seeing what we can do to help the families that have lost someone, but also the ones that are in critical condition, whether we can move them to stable condition,” Reynoso said according to the Times. “That’s the work that we’re already doing now. Thereafter, we’ll talk about what caused this, how it happened, who to hold accountable.”

The inspector assigned to oversee foundation work at the neighboring site had an expired license, though it was unclear whether the inspector was still working on the project or was on site, the outlet reported.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the Department of Buildings has issued a stop-work order, according to WABC. Officials have warned that others may still be missing as crews continue searching the rubble.