Crane falls on NYC streets during building fire, injuring many.
A Terrifying Scene: Crane Fire and Partial Collapse in Midtown Manhattan
In a heart-stopping incident that unfolded in midtown Manhattan, a construction crane caught fire and partially collapsed, sending tons of concrete and steel crashing down 45 stories to the street below.
According to WCBS-TV, two firefighters and nine others sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident. The fire started around 7:30 a.m. in the neighborhood known as Hell’s Kitchen, on 10th Avenue between West 41st and 42nd streets.
A Precarious Situation
First Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer described the dangerous situation that quickly developed. He explained, “There’s a beam that goes out, and that’s carrying the weight of concrete. And that weight of 16 tons is attached by a cable. As the fire heats the cable, the cable weakens to a point where it loses its strength, and that’s when the collapse occurred.”
The arm of the crane swung like a pendulum as it gave way, smashing into a building across the street before plummeting down to the street. The dramatic scene was captured by some early morning passers-by on their cellphones.
Just watched a crane fall and pummel a building on the other side of the block! #nyc #fire pic.twitter.com/YFyaurRglN
— Jimmy (@jimmy_farring) July 26, 2023
The crane operator initially attempted to extinguish the fire but eventually had to flee, according to officials. Over 200 firefighters responded to the blaze, fighting it with hoses from adjacent tall buildings, as shown in news footage.
“As you can see from the debris on the street, this could have been much worse,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
Witnesses reported that two workers ran out into the street and stopped traffic just before the crane fell, likely averting serious injuries or deaths, as reported by WABC-TV’s Janice Yu.
The crane involved in the incident was owned by the New York Crane & Equipment Corp, a company that has faced previous crane problems and criminal charges. The company did not provide a comment on the incident.
Authorities will be examining the structural integrity of both the building under construction and the building hit by the swinging crane arm, according to a building commissioner interviewed by WCBS.
Watch the video below to witness the terrifying moment of the crane collapse:
Video: Crane Collapses, Falls on Busy NYC Streets During Building Fire, Nearly a Dozen Injured
Source: The Western Journal
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