“HE WAS FIGHTING FOR A BETTER FUTURE”: ECUADORIAN FATHER, 26, AMONG EIGHT KILLED IN DEVASTATING BROOKLYN BUILDING COLLAPSE — LEAVES BEHIND PREGNANT WIFE AND YOUNG SON
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A family’s hopes for a better future have been shattered after 26-year-old José Luis Caguana Cosquillo was identified as one of eight people killed in a devastating building collapse in Brooklyn.
The young Ecuadorian construction worker had moved to the United States approximately six years ago, determined to build a more secure life for his loved ones. He worked hard to support his wife and young son, and his family says he was the main provider for their household.
But on Wednesday afternoon, November 11, his life was tragically cut short when a three-story building collapsed in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn.
The disaster left eight people dead and 18 others injured, including emergency responders. Among those killed were two children.
For José Luis’s family, however, the tᩚraɢedy is deeply personal. He leaves behind a pregnant wife who is expecting their second child and a young son who has lost his father.
His brother, Carlos Caguana, spoke about the devastating loss in an interview with Telemundo.
“He was the one who brought the daily bread home,” Carlos said, describing his brother as the person his family depended on.
The family is now facing an unimaginable future without the man who had worked so hard to provide for them.
A YOUNG FATHER WHO CAME TO AMERICA FOR HIS FAMILY
José Luis was originally from Ecuador’s Tungurahua province, specifically the rural parish of Quisapincha, near the city of Ambato.
Like many people who leave their home countries in search of opportunity, he traveled to the United States approximately six years ago with the hope of creating a better future.
He found work in the construction industry and continued working to support his family.
According to relatives, José Luis was the primary financial provider for his household. His wife was pregnant with their second child, while their young son was still at an age when he depended on his father for everyday care and support.
His brother Carlos described the loss as an enormous blow to everyone who knew him.
The family had been preparing to welcome another baby. Instead, they are now confronting the painful reality that José Luis will never get to hold his second child.
His dєatᩚh has also left his wife facing the difficult task of raising two children without the partner she expected to share that responsibility with.
THE AFTERNOON EVERYTHING CHANGED
The collapse happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, near the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
A three-story mixed-use building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue suddenly collapsed into an adjacent construction and excavation site.
The structure contained commercial space at street level and residential apartments above. The collapse also tore away a substantial portion of a neighboring building.
People were trapped beneath the debris, prompting an immediate emergency response.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency medical personnel were sent to the scene. First responders worked through unstable rubble, damaged structural materials and dangerous conditions in an effort to reach people who might still be alive.
The operation quickly became one of the most serious building-collapse emergencies in the area in recent years.
As the hours passed, the number of confirmed fatalities continued to rise.
By Thursday, authorities had confirmed that eight people had died.
EIGHT LIVES LOST IN THE tᩚraɢedy
The New York Police Department subsequently released the names of the eight people killed.
They were identified as:
- Nicole Daniela Salvada Rodriguez, 9
- Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, 10
- Gabriel Siguencia, 22
- Barry Mamadou, 23
- José Luis Caguana Cosquillo, 26
- Edgar Sapon, 26
- Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31
- Ndiaye Mamadou, 31
Two children were among the victims, making the tᩚraɢedy even more devastating for the families and communities affected.
The victims came from different backgrounds and countries, including Ecuador, Colombia and other nations.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described those who died as friends, neighbors, parents, children and young families who had been building their lives in the city.
The collapse affected both residents of the building and people working at the neighboring construction site.
José Luis was among the construction workers who lost their lives.
At least 18 other people were injured, including firefighters. Some required hospital treatment, and officials reported that one injured person remained in ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal condition during the response.
RESCUERS WORKED THROUGH THE NIGHT
The emergency response continued for nearly 24 hours.
Firefighters, police officers and medical teams worked carefully through the debris, searching for victims and checking areas where people might have become trapped.
The operation was especially difficult because of the instability of the remaining structures and the possibility that moving debris could create additional dangers.
Rescue personnel used specialized equipment and worked through the wreckage to reach people who had been buried beneath the collapsed building.
Officials also faced concerns about changing weather conditions, which threatened to complicate the operation.
The search eventually concluded on Thursday afternoon, November 12, after authorities determined that no additional victims remained at the site.
The final dєatᩚh toll stood at eight.
For the families waiting for news, the conclusion of the search brought confirmation of losses that would change their lives forever.
HIS BROTHER REMEMBERS THE MAN WHO SUPPORTED THE FAMILY
As news of José Luis’s dєatᩚh spread, his brother Carlos spoke publicly about the person behind the name on the victim list.
He described his brother as the person who carried the financial responsibility for the household.
“He was the one who brought the daily bread,” Carlos said in comments reported by Telemundo.
The family had relied on José Luis’s work and determination. His move to the United States had been driven by the hope of giving his wife and children a more secure future.
Now, his loved ones must face the loss of that support as well as the emotional devastation of losing someone they deeply loved.
The tᩚraɢedy is particularly painful because his wife is pregnant with their second child.
The baby will arrive into a family already grieving the dєatᩚh of its father.
His young son will also grow up with memories and stories of a father who had worked hard to provide for him.
A SOCCER TEAM ALSO MOURNS HIS dєatᩚh
Away from work and family responsibilities, José Luis also enjoyed playing soccer.
He was part of Club Deportivo La Bahía in New York, where teammates and friends remembered him as a valued member of their community.
Following confirmation of his dєatᩚh, the club shared a tribute expressing sorrow over the loss.
The message remembered his friendship, companionship and talent on the field, describing the absence he leaves behind as an immense void.
For those who played alongside him, José Luis was more than a teammate. He was a friend whose presence had become part of their shared memories.
His dєatᩚh has left people who knew him struggling to accept that someone they had recently seen and played alongside is no longer coming back.
QUESTIONS EMERGE ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE
As families mourn the victims, investigators are working to determine what caused the building to collapse.
The three-story structure fell into an excavation area at an adjacent construction site.
The New York City Department of Buildings has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Officials are examining the condition of the building, the work taking place next door and whether construction activities or structural problems contributed to the disaster.
The investigation is also drawing attention to earlier complaints and inspection records connected to the construction project.
The Associated Press reported that residents had previously raised concerns about vibrations and damage near the site. Records also showed that city inspectors had issued a stop-work order earlier in the year over demolition-related safety concerns.
Authorities have not yet established that the adjacent construction work caused the collapse.
Investigators will need to examine engineering plans, excavation methods, structural supports, inspection records and the condition of the affected buildings before reaching conclusions.
Mayor Mamdani has promised further scrutiny of the companies and construction sites connected to the project.
The city has also announced additional inspections and an independent engineering investigation.
For the families who lost loved ones, answers about how this happened remain an important part of the search for accountability.
ECUADORIAN AUTHORITIES SUPPORT THE FAMILY
The tᩚraɢedy has also drawn attention in Ecuador, where José Luis’s dєatᩚh has been mourned by relatives and members of his community.
The Ecuadorian Consulate in New York confirmed the identities of Ecuadorian victims and said it was maintaining contact with their families to provide assistance.
Relatives have requested help with arrangements to repatriate José Luis’s body to Ecuador so that he can be laid to rest in his homeland.
His dєatᩚh has deeply affected the community he left behind when he moved abroad in search of better opportunities.
For many Ecuadorian families living far from home, the story is a painful reminder of the sacrifices made by people who travel abroad to support the people they love.
José Luis left Ecuador hoping to build a better life.
He had a job, a family and another child on the way.
Now, the people waiting for him at home are left with grief and memories.
A FUTURE HE WILL NEVER GET TO SEE
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of José Luis’s story is the future his family had been preparing to share with him.
His wife was expecting their second child. Their young son still had years of growing up ahead of him.
There were birthdays, family moments and milestones that José Luis had every reason to believe he would be part of.
Instead, his wife must prepare to welcome their baby while mourning the loss of her husband.
His son will have to grow up without the father who worked to provide for him.
And the child who has not yet been born will one day learn about a father who never had the chance to hold them.
José Luis was just 26 years old.
He had crossed borders, worked long hours and built a life in a new country with the hope of giving his family more opportunities.
His dєatᩚh is one of eight lives lost in a devastating collapse that has shaken Brooklyn.
But behind every name is a family whose world has changed forever.
For José Luis Caguana Cosquillo’s loved ones, the tᩚraɢedy is not simply a building that fell.
It is a husband who will not come home, a father who will not watch his children grow and a family left waiting for someone who will never return.
May José Luis rest in peace, and may his wife, children and loved ones find the strength to face the days ahead.
