Fatal BK Wall Collapse Result Of Unpermitted Construction: DOB

BROOKLYN, NY — A fatal wall collapse in a Brooklyn backyard on Monday happened after unpermitted construction on the wall, according to investigators.

Inspectors with the Department of Buildings investigating the collapse at a home on 42nd Street near Fifth Avenue found that workers had been excavating the length of the retaining wall "without adequate shoring" the day of the collapse, according to a DOB spokesperson.

The collapse, which happened shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, left two people trapped under the retaining wall and brought more than 120 emergency responders to the backyard.

One of the people, a construction worker, was pronounced dead on the scene and the other was sent to the hospital with serious injuries, officials said.

The workers had been hired by the owners of a home on 43rd Street that shares a backyard with the 42nd Street home, where they were granted access during the construction, the inspectors said.

There were no DOB permits issued for any construction at either property, according to the department.

DOB has issued a partial vacate order on both the 42nd Street and 43rd Street backyard and is still investigating the incident.