ECUADORIAN FATHER, 26, AMONG EIGHT KILLED IN HORRIFIC BROOKLYN BUILDING COLLAPSE — HE LEAVES BEHIND A PREGNANT WIFE AND YOUNG CHILD
A family’s future has been shattered after a 26-year-old Ecuadorian construction worker was identified among the eight people killed when a building collapsed in Brooklyn, New York.
José Luis Caguana Cosquillo had come to the United States approximately six years ago, hoping to build a better life for his loved ones. Now, his wife is facing an unimaginable loss while expecting their second child.
A FATHER WHO WORKED TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY
José Luis was working in construction and was reportedly the primary provider for his household.
His brother, Carlos Caguana, told local media that José had left Ecuador in search of better opportunities and had spent years working to support his wife and young child.
The tᩚraɢedy is especially heartbreaking because his wife is pregnant and approaching her due date. The couple also had a young child who will now grow up without his father.
Carlos described the loss as devastating, saying his brother had been the family’s main source of financial support.
THE diᩚadℓy COLLAPSE IN BROOKLYN
The collapse happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, at 1321 Flatbush Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn.
A three-story building fell into an excavation area at an adjacent construction site, leaving a massive pile of rubble and trapping people beneath the debris.
More than 250 emergency responders took part in the operation. Firefighters and rescue crews worked through dangerous conditions, searching for survivors and recovering victims.
Authorities ultimately confirmed that eight people had died, including two children. At least 18 others were injured, among them four firefighters.
RESCUE OPERATIONS END AS INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
After an extensive search, the FDNY announced that rescue operations had concluded on Thursday afternoon.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined. Investigators are examining the adjacent construction and excavation work to establish what caused the building to come down.
City officials have also ordered inspections at other construction sites connected to companies involved in the project.
José Luis was one of two Ecuadorian nationals confirmed among the victims. His dєatᩚh has left his family grieving a husband, father, and brother who had traveled thousands of miles hoping to give his loved ones a better future.
He went to work that day to provide for his family. He never made it home.
His pregnant wife and young child now face a future without him — a loss that no words can truly ease.
