New York High Rise Evacuated After Terrifying Discovery

dailycaller.com

Two columns buckled in a 33-story high-rise in Midtown New York on July 7. The building has been evacuated, nearby traffic has been rerouted, and a local school has been canceled.

The building was formerly an office space used by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and is being converted into apartments, per PIX11 News. Cliff Johnson, who was working on the building at the time of the evacuation, told PIX11 News that the project was a total renovation, with crews gutting the 33-story building and planning to add another 16 stories. Johnson also questioned the work of the contractors.

“The general contractor chose to go non-union for this project. All we want is responsible construction in the City of New York,” Johnson said. “They did not shore up the job correctly. The beams started crumbling, the floors started crumbling, and they might have to evacuate the other side.”

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) received calls of falling bricks from the building at 7:58 a.m. Upon arrival, units discovered multiple buckled columns and sagging floors throughout the upper levels, according to a statement by the NYFD. Department of Buildings engineers are using FDNY drones to examine the structure. (RELATED: ‘Bang’: Firework Collides With Plane Carrying 52 Passengers)

At least nine surrounding buildings, along with several businesses and a school, have been evacuated, and residents have been sent home, CBS News reported.

“A number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced while taking questions at an unrelated news conference. “Luckily, there have been no injuries to report at this time; all workers are accounted for.”

FDNY has mobilized more than 100 fire and EMS personnel. No injuries have been reported, according to the department.