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Fiery crane collapse in Manhattan leaves 11 injured, officials say
Nine civilians and two firefighters sustained non-life threatening injuries after the top of the crane and a 16-ton load toppled over, according to the FDNY.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cr ... -rcna96415
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A crane collapse in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning left 11 people injured, including two firefighters, according to the FDNY.

Video posted to social media showed the top part of a crane collapse, hit a building across the street and then swing back to hit the building under construction as passersby sprinted from the scene.

Eight civilians' injuries were minor, while one was serious but non-life threatening, according to the FDNY. One of the firefighters' injuries was minor, and the other was serious but non-life threatening, the FDNY said.

Three people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, the FDNY said earlier on Wednesday. It was unclear Wednesday afternoon how many people had been hospitalized, given that the number of victims had slowly ticked up throughout the day.


New York City officials explain cause of crane collapse
JULY 26, 202302:40
Two sources from the fire department said one firefighter was hurt by falling debris.

The collapse occurred shortly after a fire broke out inside the engine of the crane, about 45 stories up, which was reported around 7:25 a.m., according to Joseph Pfeifer, deputy commissioner of the FDNY. Video posted to social media of the scene shows part of the crane on fire atop the building as clouds of black smoke billow above.

The crane operator unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the fire, "but the fire overwhelmed that operator," Pfeifer said, adding that "the crane operator was able to get out and is safe."

As firefighters were en route to the scene, they heard the collapse, Pfeifer said. The top part of the crane, the boom and a 16-ton load were part of the crash, Pfeifer said.

A photo from the scene appears to show a tangle of metal from the crane and other debris littering the sidewalk and street below the site of the crash, at 550 10th Avenue between West 41st and 42nd streets in Hell’s Kitchen.

Buildings in the area were evacuated, according to Pfeifer.

Eldrege Smith, who lives in the building that was struck, at 555 10th Avenue, told NBC New York “I felt the building really tremor” at the time of the crash.

Smith described his residence as being "mangled like Godzilla took it and crushed it in his hands.”

Another local resident, TT Maitisa, told the local station they "thought it was another terrorist attack or something, because it was a loud bang."

"It sounded like a bomb, it was pretty scary," Maitisa said, adding that they were waiting to be allowed back into their building.

An emergency alert issued by the city shortly after 8:15 a.m. cautioned that New Yorkers should "expect smoke, traffic delays, and a presence of emergency personnel and vehicles in the area."

Another alert, issued just after 8:45 a.m., characterized the blaze as a "five alarm fire." The alert included guidance from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that advised "avoiding smoke exposure from structural fires by closing windows while indoors and reducing outdoor activity where smoke is present," particularly for people with heart or breathing conditions like asthma.

The mayor's office also urged locals to avoid the area in a tweet.

Adams said the impacts of the collapse "could have been much worse. We are extremely fortunate that we weren't during a busy time of the day."

Pfeifer echoed Adams' assessment: "This is a good morning — this could've been a lot worse," he said.

More than 200 firefighters and emergency medical personnel were at the scene, Pfeifer said. Officials were working to dismantle the crane and extinguish the fire, Adams said.

By 11:45 a.m., the fire was under control, the FDNY said in a tweet.

The building under construction is intended to be 54-story mixed-use building, according to Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo.

All permits filed for the building and crane operation had been approved, according to Oddo.

Governor Kathy Hochul remarked on the incident while speaking at a breakfast event for the construction industry, calling it "a reminder of the incredible challenges that the men and women who are building back our city face." Hochul said her office is monitoring the incident and working in conjunction with the mayor's office.

The Department of Buildings will review the incident, Oddo said, adding that an independent assessment will also be conducted.

Representatives for the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department could not immediately be reached.

PP