Four men were injured — one fatally — after a second floor addition of a Gerritsen Beach bungalow buckled on April 3.
Firefighters were called to the deadly collapse at 11 am, where they discovered that the upper portion of the unfinished building between Seba and Lois avenues had slipped off its foundation, trapping one man on the first floor, according to an FDNY spokesman.
The collapse was so devastating that the house appeared to shift 10 feet from its five-foot-high foundation — and narrowly missed slamming into a neighboring home, stunned witnesses said.
The buried worker was pulled from the rubble at 11:25 am in critical condition and was rushed to Lutheran Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.
Three other men were treated at the scene for minor injuries, an FDNY spokesman said.
The city Department of Buildings attributed the accident to the poor conditions of the existing bungalow, on which the second floor addition was being built, as well as the failure to properly anchor the addition to the existing structure.
The collapsed building has been scheduled for a complete demolition following the completion of the city inspectors’ investigation, a Department of Buildings spokeswoman said. One of the neighboring buildings was evacuated as a precautionary measure, she explained.
No violations had been issued as of Tuesday night.
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.
