Structural columns supporting a high-rise in New York City’s Manhattan borough buckled on July 7, prompting evacuations.
Emergency personnel rushed to the 37-story building on East 42nd Street around 8 a.m. and found that two structural columns had buckled, as well as multiple cracks and sagging floors, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters during a briefing nearby.
Engineers and first responders are working on plans to shore up the building if it is deemed secure, Mamdani said.
Officials said a collapse is possible because there has been continued movement.
“It is not yet stable,” said John Esposito, the chief of department for the Fire Department of New York.
He added later: “The way this building is constructed, it’s a steel frame building, so it would not be a total collapse. It would be more of a localized collapse.”
He also said that the steel beams have started to bend from the weight being placed on them.
No injuries have been recorded as of yet.
Hundreds of firefighters and other personnel are on the scene.
While initial reports notified city officials that bricks were falling off the building, officials have not seen any evidence that this actually occurred.
The building is a commercial office building being converted into a residential building. As part of the renovation, workers were adding 11 floors to the existing 22-story building.
The building and seven surrounding buildings have been evacuated.
Police have established a zone spanning from 40th Street to 45th Street, between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue. New Yorkers are being told to avoid the area for now.
“This is a fast-developing situation,” Mamdani said. “We are taking it minute by minute, and I appreciate our city workers who have been on the forefront of that. Every few minutes we are looking at a new assessment of the structure and of the possibilities and the options that we have in front of us.
“When it comes to the New Yorkers who call these streets their home, we are going to be in touch with them as soon as we have any updates.
“What I will say to them for now is thank you. Because despite the impact on their day, they have responded calmly. They have responded with urgency.
“And to those New Yorkers who do not live in this neighborhood, I would say to steer clear of this area so that we can actually ensure the focus is on this response.”
