MIDTOWN — NINE BUILDINGS in Midtown Manhattan were evacuated Tuesday morning and several streets closed after a 38-story construction project began to crumble, according to NBC, ABC and other sources.
Fire and emergency responders rushed to 235 East 42nd St. between Second and Third avenues after receiving reports of bricks falling from the 21st floor just after 8 a.m. According to reports, several support columns buckled and floors sagged between the 21st and 26th floor. The building was being converted from office space to residential.
A number of nearby tall buildings and a school with about 400 children have been evacuated, Mayor Zohan Mamdani said at a press conference. “Most of 42nd Street and 43rd Street between First and Third Avenues have been shut down to pedestrians and to vehicles,” he said.
Emergency supports are being brought in to prevent the building from “pancaking,” according to NBC.
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