NYC skyscraper starts collapsing in ‘very serious situation’ | World | News
Building evacuated after partial collapse (Image: New York Fire Department (FDNY)/X)
Authorities have confirmed that a skyscraper in New York City is structurally unsound just hours after it partially collapsed.
Fire crews rushed to the 37-storey high-rise in Manhattan shortly before 8am local time (13:00 BST) after two support columns collapsed, causing five floors to collapse. Bricks reportedly rained down on the street below, prompting the evacuation of the surrounding area.
Cliff Johnson was working inside the building at the time and told PIX11 News how the collapse occurred.
“The beams are starting to crumble, the floors are starting to crumble, and they might have to evacuate the other side,” he said. “The general contractor chose to remain non-union for this project. All we want is responsible construction in New York City.
“So, you know, endangering members, endangering employees. You’ve got to do the right job, and you’ve got to do it all the time.”
The steel beams inside appear to be bent (Image: New York Fire Department (FDNY)/X)
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) issued an update at around 1.20pm local time (18.20 BST), stating: “Just before 8am on Tuesday morning, the FDNY received reports of a structural issue at an active construction site on East 42nd Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan.
“The call came in for reported issues at a 37-story building at 235 East 42nd Street that is currently being converted from a commercial office building to a residential building.
“FDNY units, as well as representatives from the Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management, responded and found structural problems on the 21st floor. Two structural columns were buckled and there were numerous cracks and sagging floors.”
Department Chief John Esposito added: “This is a very serious situation because the box girders – steel beams – began to bend and deflect from the weight.
“We evacuated the building and started evacuating surrounding buildings. The building has continued to move since we arrived at the scene.”
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as ‘serious’.
“Our concern is that we have seen the structure constantly changing since we have been on site since the early hours of the morning,” Mayor Mamdani added.
“Every few minutes we’re looking at a new assessment of the structure and the possibilities and options that are before us,” he added, noting that the city will keep local New Yorkers informed of developments.
Mamdani confirmed that stabilization work will begin once the building is declared safe.
It also reinforced the Fire Department’s message, which instructed residents to stay away from the area so city workers could respond to the situation. A nearby school with about 400 students was closed.
The evacuation has caused significant disruption during the morning and evening rush hours and is likely to cause chaos for commuters in the coming days. There were no injuries after the partial collapse.
