A school in New York had to be cleared out when sections of a neighboring 37-story building, still in construction, collapsed onto a street. Officials mentioned that two supporting beams on the 21st and 22nd floors of the high-rise in Manhattan gave way during the morning rush hour on Tuesday. They noticed that floors between the 21st and 26th levels were starting to droop.
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) received a call around 8 am EDT (1 pm BST) concerning falling bricks at 235 East 42nd Street, triggering an immediate response. Nearby streets were shut down to both pedestrians and vehicles due to the incident.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that a school with approximately 400 students was evacuated as a precaution. At a press briefing at the location, he assured that there were no injuries reported, and all individuals inside the structure were safely located.
Mamdani highlighted that engineers were on-site working to reinforce the compromised floors, utilizing drones for building inspections rather than risking sending people inside. He emphasized the ongoing instability of the building, commending the swift response of first responders and the calm reaction of New Yorkers.
Fire Department Chief John Esposito noted that the building continued to shift while emergency crews were present, stressing the persisting danger of the situation. As a preventive measure, the FDNY established a “collapse zone,” and Mamdani declared a frozen zone in the vicinity, spanning from 40th to 45th streets, between 1st and 3rd avenues. The timeline for area reopening and resident re-entry remains uncertain.
The developer of the under-construction property, Metro Loft, stated that they were collaborating closely with the Department of Buildings to grasp the full extent of the circumstances, prioritizing the safety of workers and the public.
Formerly serving as the global headquarters of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, the building is undergoing a conversion from offices to upscale residences. Positioned near the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, and the United Nations headquarters, it holds a prominent location in the city.
