Crane Collapses, Falls 20 Stories, 1 Killed
At least one person was killed Friday and at least two others are severely injured due to a construction crane collapse in Upper Manhattan during the morning rush hour.
Witnesses at the scene say that both the cab and the arm of the crane fell over 20 stories to the ground, destroying the penthouse on a building across the street and tearing chunks out of balconies on the way down.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer reports that one person had died, and rescue crews were on the scene searching through the debris.
The accident happened shortly after 8 a.m., and the accident left a pile of debris at the foot of The Azure, an apartment building under construction at the northwest corner of East 91st Street and First Avenue.
The falling crane also damaged The Electra, a 20 story building on the southwest corner of the intersection.
This is the second horrific crane collapse in the city this year. Back in March, another construction crane crashed to the ground leaving seven people dead.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg ensured that an investigation would take place and charges would be made if necessary. Bloomberg called Friday’s crane collapse “unacceptable and intolerable.”
The NY Times now has a slideshow up w/ pictures:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/05/30/nyregion/0530-COLLAPSE1_index.html