Foreign Ministry confirms the death of a Guatemalan following the collapse of a building in Brooklyn, New York

Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez in the collapse of a building in Brooklyn. (Infobae América) Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINEX) confirmed the death of Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez, a 26-year-old Guatemalan, following the collapse of a residential building in Brooklyn, New York. The young man, a native of Totonicapán, is among the eight people who died in the collapse that occurred on November 11 in the Flatbush neighborhood. The ministry stated that the Consulate General of Guatemala in New York established contact with Sapón Gutiérrez's relatives and is offering them consular support. The mission also made inquiries with nearby hospitals and with the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which confirmed the death. The three-story building collapsed while residents were inside and fell onto an adjacent construction site, according to information released by local authorities. Emergency crews continued search efforts among the rubble on Thursday, November 12. The Guatemalan Consulate in New York is advising the victim's family on managing the repatriation through an official assistance fund. (Social Media) MINEX reported that the young man's relatives received guidance on the Fund for Assistance to Guatemalan Migrants in Situations of Vulnerability and Deceased Abroad, a mechanism intended to support the repatriation of the remains of nationals who die outside the country. In addition, the consulate is making inquiries with New York authorities to determine whether the case meets the conditions to receive some form of economic assistance. The institution expressed its condolences to Sapón Gutiérrez's family and to everyone else affected by the tragedy. Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez was a native of Totonicapán, Guatemala, but resided in the United States. (Social Media) "MINEX expresses its condolences to the family and loved ones of the national, as well as to all the families affected by this tragedy," the entity stated in a communiqué issued on November 12. The Guatemalan diplomatic mission indicated that it will continue to support the deceased's relatives during the procedures following the incident. The young man was a native of Totonicapán, in western Guatemala. Meanwhile, the victim's relatives cannot believe what happened and are asking Guatemalan authorities for support to repatriate the young man's remains. They have also asked neighbors and friends for financial contributions to cope with what happened. The death of Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez has caused shock among family and friends residing in Totonicapán. (Social Media) The New York Fire Department reported that eight people died as a result of the collapse. Four victims were found lifeless under the remains of the structure, while two others died in hospitals. Authorities declared two more people dead during the early hours of November 12. As of that moment, six of the eight deceased had not been identified by local authorities. MINEX's confirmation made it possible to establish that Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez is one of those killed in the collapse. The official tally also recorded 17 people injured, including four in serious condition and seven children. More than 250 firefighters and emergency services personnel took part in the rescue, debris removal, and site inspection tasks in case survivors might be found. The New York Fire Department recorded eight dead and seventeen injured as a result of the collapse. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) Images shared by the firefighters showed an accumulation of concrete debris, wood, and metal structures. Crews used excavators and other equipment to clear the area and facilitate access to the sectors where people might have been trapped. The causes of the building collapse in Flatbush remain under investigation. Authorities had not yet reported what caused the structure to fall or whether there was any prior record of failures in the building. Local authorities are investigating the causes of the incident and the structural conditions of the two affected buildings. (REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis) The collapse occurred in a residential area of Brooklyn and also affected a building under construction located next to the house that fell. The investigation must establish the conditions of both structures and determine whether there were any responsibilities related to construction work, maintenance, or possible structural deficiencies. MINEX stated that it will continue to monitor the case through its consulate in New York, while Edgar Sapón Gutiérrez's family receives guidance to define repatriation procedures and the possible assistance available.