A nine-year-old boy ran towards his mother moments before the walls of their apartment began collapsing in New York, where a building collapse killed eight people, including two children, and injured 18 others. The building, which was nearly a century old, collapsed, prompting a response from around 250 firefighters and emergency personnel within minutes. The cause of the collapse remained under investigation. Authorities were examining excavation work at an adjoining construction site as part of the probe. In March 2026, the city had halted demolition work at the site over inadequate protection for neighbouring properties. However, inspectors later found that the work had resumed despite the order, according to ABC7 New York. Following the collapse, Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered safety inspections at around 100 other construction sites. After nearly 24 hours of rescue operations, the fire department confirmed that no more victims remained trapped in the rubble. The search was called off as investigators continued examining what caused the building to collapse.