DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Manhattan high-rise column bends, sparking collapse fears; schools, consulates evacuated

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • A structural column in a 37-story building in Manhattan, formerly Pfizer's headquarters, began to bend during conversion to luxury apartments.
  • Authorities issued evacuation orders for nearby buildings, schools, and consulates due to fears of collapse.
  • The New York City Fire Department reported that the bending column showed no further signs of instability, and emergency reinforcement work was being assessed.

A structural column in a 37-story building in Manhattan, previously the global headquarters of Pfizer, began to bend, raising concerns of a potential collapse and prompting evacuations. The incident occurred during the building's conversion into luxury apartments.

Authorities reported that construction workers discovered the structural anomaly around 8 a.m. local time on the 21st and 22nd floors. They observed that a support column had started to bend, and some floors in the affected section showed signs of sagging under the weight. The New York City Fire Department described the steel column as having "started to bend and deform."

The steel column had started to bend and deform

— New York City Fire DepartmentDescribing the structural issue discovered in the building.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated at a press conference that the building remained "unstable" and described the situation as "very serious." However, by the afternoon, no further signs of instability were observed from the damaged column for several hours. Local media reported that authorities began assessing emergency reinforcement measures.

The building is still unstable. It's a very serious situation

— Eric AdamsMayor of New York City, commenting on the building's condition.

The building's potential collapse risk led to evacuation orders for nine nearby buildings, including Kennedy International School on East 42nd Street, where approximately 400 children were participating in a summer camp. The Israeli Consulate on Second Avenue also evacuated as a precautionary measure, along with guests from the Hampton Inn Manhattan Grand Central hotel. Pedestrian and vehicle access was restricted in the surrounding area.

Officials confirmed that all construction workers were accounted for and no injuries were reported. The developer, Metro Loft, stated they are working closely with the New York City Department of Buildings to assess the situation, prioritizing the safety of workers and the public.

We are working closely with the New York City Department of Buildings to understand the situation. Worker and public safety are always the top priority

— Metro LoftStatement from the building developer.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog