Petrifying new photos show the sagging Midtown Manhattan office building that was evacuated after two beams buckled and several floors collapsed.
City officials say the 37-story skyscraper on East 42nd Street remains unstable and has ‘continued to move since we’ve been on the scene.’
But experts insist that any collapse would be localized and that, due to its steel supports, the hi-rise won’t come toppling down.
They are using ‘specialized tools’ to monitor any movement in ‘centimeters or a fraction of an inch.’
Construction crews evacuated the skyscraper on East 42nd Street just after 8am Tuesday after they discovered that two support beams had begun to buckle.
The 21st to 26th floors of the building near Grand Central Terminal caved in under stress, officials say. Multiple cracks and sagging floors have been reported throughout the hi-rise.
Footage filmed by workers showed the massive silver beams on the 21st and 22nd floors buckling and bending just moments before the floor started to crumble.
No injuries have been reported, but an evacuation has been ordered as a precaution. Eight nearby buildings have also been evacuated as emergency crews attend the scene.
The Manhattan office building, which once housed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers noticed cracks and buckling columns
FDNY found two structural columns buckled on the 21st floor of the hi-rise
The 21st to 26th floors of the building near Grand Central Terminal caved in under stress, officials say. Multiple cracks and sagging floors have been reported throughout the site
City officials are using specialized tools to monitor the building’s movement
‘It’s a very serious situation because the box beams, the steel beams, have started to bend and deflect from the weight,’ FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said.
‘We evacuated the building and started evacuations of surrounding buildings. The building has continued to move since we have been on the scene.’
The skyscraper, which once housed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury apartment complex.
A site worker has accused the construction project’s general contractor of irresponsibility following the emergency evacuation.
‘The general contractor chose to go non‑union for this project. All we want is responsible construction in the City of New York,’ Cliff Johnson, of Steamfitters Local 638, told PIX 11.
‘They did not shore up the job correctly. The beams started crumbling, the floors started crumbling, and they might have to evacuate the other side.’
Johnson said the project was a ‘total renovation’ and that crews were gutting the entire building.
Renovation plans included adding 11 extra floors to the hi-rise, he added.
Metro Loft Management is understood to be overseeing the building renovations. The Daily Mail has approached the firm for comment.
The construction site was issued seven violations from the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) last year, public records showed.
The violations, which resulted in over $32,000 in penalties, were construction safety-related and have since been resolved.
One of the penalties was a $10,000 violation for failing to notify the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) of a construction incident that resulted in injury.
DOB inspectors responded to the site on Tuesday following the evacuations and are actively investigating the situation.
The department does have an active permit for the ongoing construction work, officials said.
Several FDNY crews outside the 37-story skyscraper on East 42nd Street on Tuesday
Terrifying footage filmed by workers inside the building showed the massive silver beams buckling and bending just moments before the floor started to crumble
First responders were called to the building near Grand Central Station just after 8am Tuesday
Eight nearby buildings have also been evacuated as emergency crews attend the scene
East 42nd Street, between Second and Third avenues, is closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as officials continue their investigation. Commuters are advised to avoid the area
Construction crews self-evacuated from the 37-story skyscraper after they discovered that two support beams had begun to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floors
City officials say the cause of Tuesday’s buckling remains under investigation.
East 42nd Street, between Second and Third avenues, is closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Commuters are advised to avoid the area.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is on the scene, which he has called an ‘extremely serious situation.’
The mayor urged anyone in the area to follow the instructions of the first responders on site.
‘Now luckily there have been no injuries to report at this time, all workers are accounted for, the building has been evacuated, a number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated at this time, a school with about 400 children has also been evacuated,’ he said.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
