Building Collapses; Two Die

BRIDGEPORT, Conn.--A multistory apartment building under construction collapsed yesterday, killing two workers and trapping 16 others under tons of concrete and twisted steel beams, authorities said.

The mayor said authorities were "not too optimistic" the 16 would be found alive.

Rescuers worked frantically to pull injured construction workers from the edges of the collapsed downtown building, and families gathered at a high school to await news of their relatives. Twelve people were hospitalized.

"There were voices earlier," said Kenny Brett, an ironworker who said he was on the ground floor when the building fell at 1:30 p.m. "But most of them have stopped," he said as night fell.

"I was at the scene and I could hear people yelling, but it was muffled, it was like they were talking into a pillow," said Nina Linton of Shelton, whose construction worker husband was helping rescuers.

Major Harding, one of the volunteers, said he saw "six or seven slabs of concrete pancaked on top of each other."