Manhattan building evacuated over collapse fears

New York City officials on Tuesday morning evacuated a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan after receiving reports of a structural failure, according to the city fire department. Officials also evacuated surrounding buildings, including a school, and closed nearby streets to pedestrians and vehicles, according to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The mayor said callers to his office mentioned bricks falling from the building on East 42nd Street around 8 a.m. First responders found buckled columns, sagging floors, and cracks in the structure on the 21st floor, he said.

How was the structure being used? The 37-story high-rise, which once housed Pfizer corporate offices, was under construction and being converted into a residential building, according to the fire department. All construction workers were accounted for as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, according to the fire department. There are no reports of injuries, according to Mamdani.

Firefighters observed shifts in the building’s structure while they were on the scene. Over 150 first responders were onsite, and the fire department said it was using drones to capture imagery to assist in assessments of the building’s condition.

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