NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Eight people were injured, including two critically, in a partial building collapse at a construction site on Lafayette Street in New Haven.

Mayor Justin Elicker said crews were pouring concrete and cement just after 12:30 p.m. on Friday when a portion of the second floor collapsed onto the first floor and then onto the basement.

“Our units responded immediately, within minutes, and found several persons in varying degrees of injury from broken bones to three that were partially buried under the rubble,” New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said.

VIDEO: City officials give an update on partial building collapse

Officials said eight construction workers fell 30 feet from the second floor.  No fatalities have been reported. As of Saturday afternoon, four of the workers were discharged from the hospital. Four other workers remain in the hospital, three in fair condition and one in serious condition, according to a spokesperson from Yale New Haven Hospital.

“One of the problems that you have with wet concrete is having to do the searches before it happens so the accountability count was important,” Alston said.

By evening, officials said all 36 people working on the site were accounted for. State police brought in search dogs to double check there was no one else inside. 

The site will become a seven-story, 112-unit residential building, but Elicker said a stop work order was issued Friday to RMS Companies, the building owner. The land the building is on is owned by Yale University.

The mayor said there will be a “significant” investigation, and OSHA is already on the scene. New Haven police will also conduct its own investigation due to the seriousness of the injuries.

Elicker said RMS Companies also owns the building across the street, on Church Street South. The project under construction is expected to look similar to the existing Church Street structure.

Now, the city is investigating if the builders have the proper permits. The site has been inspected multiple times since construction began.

“Typically, on a site like this, that’s complex when they do a concrete pour,” Elicker said. “They have a third-party inspection company on-site, and we’re reviewing that, as well.”

Residents are asked to stay out of the area.

“We’re very fortunate no one was killed today when you’re talking about the amount of work and weight concrete is on top of a structure,” said Rick Fontana, Emergency Operations Department.  

On Friday evening, officials said all 36 people working on the site were accounted for. State police brought in search dogs to double check there was no one else inside. 

“We’ve done the hand search, we have accountability but because we want to be sure, we are utilizing their search dogs because they have a higher sense of detection to ensure that we have done everything we can before we leave here,” Alston said. 

Residents who live near the construction area have watched crews for weeks.

“They’ve been pumping concrete for the past week or so, and the concrete’s very heavy,” said James Payne, who works in the area.

The above video is from an earlier newscast at 5 p.m. on June 2, 2023.

Dontavius Reese, lives at a building across the street. He said he heard the collapse. 

What do rescue efforts look like for a building collapse?

“It’s like a cracking and then a loud bang. When we heard it, we thought it’s a normal sound. When you’re doing construction, there are a lot of things that go on, a lot of moving parts,” Reese said. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.