On Wednesday morning, a crane perched atop a Manhattan skyscraper caught fire and partially collapsed onto a street in New York City, injuring several people, authorities said.
The incident occurred in Hell’s Kitchen, not far from Times Square, specifically on a 10th Avenue building between West 41st and 42nd streets.
The fire broke out shortly before 8 a.m., and it was captured on video by bystanders. In a clip shared on Twitter, the crane, which was 45 stories above the ground, can be seen engulfed in flames, emitting black smoke. Suddenly, a portion of the crane’s structure gives way, striking a nearby building and causing debris to scatter before crashing down.
In response to the emergency, more than 200 fire personnel were dispatched to the scene, successfully battling what turned into a five-alarm fire. Drone footage indicated that the majority of the blaze had been extinguished.
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Six people, including four civilians and two firefighters, suffered minor injuries in a crane collapse Wednesday morning in Manhattan. https://t.co/LFrSiGUtGx pic.twitter.com/RXwL9poElj
— CNN (@CNN) July 26, 2023
During a subsequent press conference around 9:30 a.m., officials reported that six people sustained injuries in the incident, though most were minor. Fortunately, the crane operator managed to escape the fire safely, despite trying to control it with a hand extinguisher.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during the press conference that the situation could have been far more catastrophic, acknowledging the potential severity of the incident.
