Firefighters rescued two civilians after a scaffolding collapsed in Bedford-Stuyvesant early Tuesday afternoon.
According to authorities, the structure outside of 181 Stuyvesant Ave. came down at around 2 p.m. on March 19.
Fire Department personnel with Engine Company 217 and Ladder Company 102 worked with Special Operations and NYPD Emergency Services to dig the victims out.
The victims — whose names have not yet been released — were freed as of 2:15 p.m., after which they were rushed to area hospitals in serious but stable condition. According to FDNY sources, the two men were working on the building when the parapet wall collapsed.
Sources further said the two are only alive because they landed on the building’s fire escape.
“It sounded like a loud bang, like a wheelbarrow on the roof,” resident Josh Bablan told Brooklyn Paper.
Bablan said the scaffolding was quick to go up, and that there’s also been water damage in the building as of late.
“The scaffolding here went up rather quickly,” he said. “There has been water damage in the building.”
As of 3 p.m., the city’s Department of Buildings was headed to the scene to determine the cause of the collapse, assess the damage and ensure the building’s stability.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
