FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) — The death toll from a Brooklyn building collapse rises to eight, and authorities say two children were among the victims.
A 9-year-old girl, Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, and a 10-year-old boy, Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, were identified as victims.
Construction worker José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26, was the first victim identified by law enforcement. He leaves behind a child and a pregnant wife, according to the Ecuadorian consulate, which is helping to arrange for his body to be transported to Ecuador for burial.
Five other men were also killed in the collapse. They were identified as Gabriel Siguencia, 22, Barry Mamadou, 23, Edgar Sapon, 26, Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31, and Ndiaye Mamadou, 31. At least one of the other victims was a construction worker.
LIVE BLOG: Latest news on Brooklyn building collapse
Families of the victims rushed to the scene Wednesday evening.
“They told us he was in critical condition, and then they told us we lost him, but they didn’t tell us where he was, where they could have taken him,” said Siguencia’s half-sister, Kayla Chimborazo. “We spent all night jumping from hospital to hospital, showing pictures, saying his name, his date of birth, to see if anyone had him, and no one did.”
Siguencia’s family learned Thursday that the young father had not survived. They said he stayed at the job site late Wednesday to work some overtime.
“He got along well with everyone; he was such a gentle soul,” Chimborazo said. “He never intended to harm anyone. He just came here to work and be able to support his family in Ecuador.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said workers on site when the collapse occurred Wednesday evening joined first responders who descended on the scene in less than a minute and together they worked to try to save those trapped.
“The construction workers, who had barely survived, turned around and exhumed their victims from the rubble. People are alive today because of their heroism yesterday,” Mamdani said.
Victims rescued from the rubble of a Brooklyn building collapse are recovering and receiving treatment at Kings County Hospital, where Krista McNally lives.
Their efforts led to the dramatic rescue of construction worker Alvaro Miguel Caizaguano Toasa. His family witnessed the rescue, captured both by another construction worker on the ground and from NewsCopter 7. His family feared the worst, knowing that at least one construction worker had been killed.
“When we saw the videos, we could see that he was underground because, you know, he collapsed, so he was underground. We saw that the firefighters caught him,” said Vanessa Muevecela, Caizaguano Toasa’s cousin-in-law.
They caught him in time to save him, but he is now in King County Hospital. His family says he is not doing well. He has a wife and two children who depend on him and need him to get by.
“He’s not awake, but he’s listening, so I tell him, ‘Be brave. I know you’re going to come home to your kids,’ and I feel like he said thank you,” Muevecela said.
Mamdani said the killed and injured victims came from several countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Trinidad.
MP Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said some of these victims were undocumented.
“Some of them are undocumented, so that raises some concerns, as to what they’re doing,” Hermelyn said. “A young boy who died is unfortunately undocumented. The families just don’t know what to do. They are afraid. The children are afraid.”
Authorities said 18 other people were injured, including four firefighters.
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