Manhattan's Nightmare: 12 Injured As Crane Crashes And Burns

The Fire Department of New York said a crane fell in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning, hurting 12 individuals, including three firefighters.

As onlookers fled from the scene, a video on social media showed the top half of a crane collapsing, smashing a building across the street, and then swinging back to impact the building under construction.

According to the fire service, eight of the citizens' injuries were mild, and one was serious but not life-threatening.According to the report, one of the firefighters' injuries was mild, while another was significant but not life-threatening. The third firefighter's status is now known.

In Manhattan, 12 People Are Injured In A Fiery Crane Collapse

BREAKING UPDATE: At least 5 injured, including an FDNY firefighter when this crane caught fire on a tower & collapsed onto 10th avenue in Manhattan. You can see people running away as first clipped a building across the street, then fell to the ground #nbc4ny #FDNY #Crane pic.twitter.com/OFMvuXKHKs

¡ª Tracie Strahan (@tstrahan4NY) July 26, 2023

The fire department reported that three people were brought to hospitals with minor injuries earlier Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, it was unknown how many individuals had been hospitalised; the number of patients had gradually increased over the day. According to two fire department sources, one firefighter was injured by falling debris.

According to Deputy Fire Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer, the crane collapsed shortly after a fire broke out in its engine, roughly 45 storeys high, about 7:25 a.m. Social media videos showed a portion of the crane atop the building on fire, with clouds of black smoke billowing above.

Twitter/@tstrahan4NY

"But the fire overwhelmed that operator," Pfeifer explained, adding that "the crane operator was able to get out and is safe." Pfeifer said firefighters heard the collapse while on their route to the scene. According to Pfeifer, the crash included the top of the crane, the boom, and a 16-tonne load. At 550 10th Ave. between West 41st and West 42nd streets in Hell's Kitchen, a shot shows a tangle of metal from the crane and other debris littering the pavement and street below.

Buildings in the area were evacuated, according to Pfeifer. Eldrege Smith, who lives in the affected building at 555 10th Ave., told NBC New York, "I felt the building tremor." Smith described his house as "mangled like Godzilla took it and crushed it in his hands."

Another local, TT Maitisa, told the broadcaster that it appeared to be "another terrorist attack or something because there was a loud bang." "It sounded like a bomb. It was pretty scary," Maitisa, awaiting re-entry into the building, said.

Credit: New York Post

The city issued an emergency alert shortly after 8:15 a.m., warning residents to "expect smoke, traffic delays, and the presence of emergency personnel and vehicles in the area."

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

Credit: New York Post

Pfeifer said more than 200 firefighters and emergency medical professionals were on the site. According to Adams, officials attempted to disassemble the crane and extinguish the fire. The fire department reported that the fire was out at 11:45 a.m. According to Buildings Commissioner James Oddo, the skyscraper under development will be a 54-story mixed-use structure.

Oddo stated that all construction and crane operation permissions had been obtained. Gov. Kathy Hochul described the incident at a breakfast event for the construction industry as "a reminder of the incredible challenges that the men and women who are rebuilding our city face."

Hochul stated that her administration is closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with the mayor's office. Oddo stated that the Department of Buildings will review the incident and that an independent evaluation will also be done. Representatives from the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department could not immediately comment.

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