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NEW YORK, Nov 12 : Two people were killed Wednesday and at least 17 others injured, including children, after a three-story building collapsed near a construction site in New York, city authorities said.

Images from the scene showed firefighters sifting through a pile of rubble in front of what appeared to be a residential property with its walls torn down, exposing a bedroom and a clothing wardrobe.

The building fell into a neighboring excavation site, trapping several people who firefighters worked to free over several hours using drones, search dogs and chainsaws.

"We do not know how many people are still in the collapse zone, and this will be a prolonged operation," FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore told reporters at the scene in Flatbush, Brooklyn late Wednesday.

She said two people had died, without disclosing their ages, and said 17 others were hurt, including seven children. Four people were critically injured.

More than 250 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene, the FDNY wrote on X, adding that the cause of the collapse was under investigation.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised the emergency services for their work, saying the site involved "precarious wreckage to navigate and dangerous voids beneath the surface."

"I want to ask New Yorkers to please take a moment to pray for those who passed away today and all of those who are mourning their loss," he added at a news conference.

One witness, named only as Anthony, told PIX11 News that he heard people screaming and a "bomb"-like noise as the building collapsed.

Another witness, Melissa Orna, told The New York Times: "The whole building started shaking, and then it just fell."

The city's Department of Buildings said its inspectors were on the scene "assisting with recovery operations and conducting structural stability inspections of nearby buildings."

Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the department, said construction workers were performing excavation at the time of the collapse.

He added that developers had plans approved for a three-story building at the site and were pursuing permission for a nine-story building.