FLATBUSH, Brooklyn — The death toll has risen to five after a three-story building collapsed in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, as emergency crews continued searching through the wreckage for anyone who may still be trapped.

The collapse happened shortly after 4 p.m. on November 11 at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, near Bedford Avenue. The mixed-use building, which included apartments above ground-floor commercial space, fell beside an active construction site.

Firefighters recovered three additional bodies early Thursday, bringing the number of confirmed deaths to five, according to the Associated Press. At least 17 people were hospitalized, including four in critical condition. Seven children were among those affected, according to reports.

About 250 firefighters and police officers worked through the night. Crews used power tools and search dogs to move through unstable debris and look for survivors. Several people were pulled from the wreckage alive, including a woman rescued from a space in the rubble.

Investigators examining nearby construction site

The collapsed building came down next to a construction site where excavation work was underway. City officials are examining the scene, but they have not determined what caused the building to collapse or whether the nearby work contributed to the disaster.

ABC7 New York reported that city records show demolition and construction activity had been taking place at the neighboring site for months. Records also show a contractor received a summons in April related to work at that site; the violation was later listed as resolved. Those details have not established a cause for the collapse.

The collapse also damaged an adjacent building, tearing away part of its wall and exposing rooms inside. Inspectors have been assessing nearby structures for safety.

Rescue operation remains a priority

Officials have described the search as dangerous and complex because crews are working around unstable sections of the structure and potentially hazardous pockets beneath the debris. Authorities have not provided a final accounting of everyone who may have been inside the building or at the construction site when it collapsed.

The investigation remains ongoing. The identities of the people who died have not been included in the latest reports cited for this article.

The Shade Wire will update this story as officials release additional information.

Sources: The Associated Press; ABC7 New York; CBS New York.