A high-rise building in Manhattan is evacuated as officials warn it may collapse
A high-rise building under construction in Manhattan was evacuated on Tuesday after structural columns collapsed and bricks fell into the street, prompting officials to warn that the building remains unstable and at risk of collapsing.
The 37-storey former Pfizer headquarters, which is currently being converted into luxury apartments, continued to show movement hours after the incident, prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school with about 400 children.New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani described the situation as “extremely dangerous,” saying engineers were using drones to monitor the building while working on plans to stabilize the damaged structure. Fire Chief John Esposito said two poles collided on the 21st and 22nd floors, with a slump reported between the 21st and 26th floors. No injuries were reported, and all workers inside the building were safely accounted for. The office-to-residential redevelopment, described as the largest conversion project in New York City history, remains under investigation as emergency crews continue to secure the site.
