New York City witnessed a devastating crane incident on Wednesday morning, as flames engulfed the crane and caused it to collapse into a neighboring building. The New York Post reported that five people, including a firefighter, were injured in the incident, which occurred at 570 10th Avenue, a vacant building under construction near Hudson Yards.
Around 7:30 a.m., the cabin area of the crane suddenly caught fire, releasing thick plumes of smoke into the sky. The top portion of the crane then crashed into a building across the street before collapsing to the ground below.
The scene was marked by panic, with pedestrians seeking safety and car horns blaring in alarm, causing chaos on the streets. Witness Heidi Elmore shared a video on social media, capturing the frightening event and tweeting, “Welcome to New York. Crane next to my hotel is on fire and collapsing so we had to evacuate.”
Mayor Adams quickly arrived at the scene to assess the situation, and the NYPD advised residents to avoid the area and take alternate routes due to expected traffic congestion. Their tweet read, “Avoid 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue from West 41 Street to West 42 Street due to a crane collapse.”
Sadly, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in New York City. In 2016, a massive construction crane collapsed in downtown Manhattan, resulting in the tragic death of a Harvard-trained mathematician and injuries to three others.
As investigations into the cause of the fire and collapse continue, the city remains on high alert. Social media has been flooded with videos and images of the incident, prompting authorities to share critical updates and warnings to keep the public informed.