1 dead in Gerritsen Beach building collapse

By AYA YOSHIDA and HAIKAL FERNANDEZ

A 25-year-old construction worker was killed after being trapped inside a building that collapsed in the Gerritsen Beach section of Brooklyn on Tuesday morning, the Fire Department said.

Three other construction workers suffered minor injuries when the building, a vacant two-story house under construction on 38 Frank Court and Seba Avenue, collapsed. Fire Department officials said the upper floor fell toppled at about 11 a.m.

According to authorities, there were five workers working on the building, with three of them on the roof when the building collapsed. Officials said the deceased worker died of trauma; the names of the victims were not released.

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri, who appeared at a news conference at the scene, said three factors contributed to the building’s collapse.

He said the existing structure of the building was compromised; the second story addition was not anchored properly; air jordan 4 femmes and there were some design flaws in the construction plan. The existing structure was an old bungalow that couldn’t sustain a second floor, he said.

A legal construction permit was signed in 2004, but ownership changed several times between then and the present. The current owner had the proper permit approved late last year, but it was pulled in March, LiMandri said.

He said an investigation was continuing for any possible permit violations.

The building is currently stabilized, officials said, but utilities have been cut and the next-door neighbors have been vacated for safety reasons.

Melissa Impellizeri, a resident of the neighborhood, said she heard what she thought were gunshots at that time. The property had been vacant for years, she said.

Gerritsen Beach, located in southern Brooklyn, is known for its small-town atmosphere and its beachfront.