Crane Fire and Collapse Lead to Evacuations in Manhattan’s West Side

A crane, located atop a high-rise building in Manhattan, experienced a partial collapse and caught fire over 40 stories above the ground Wednesday morning. Emergency crews were alerted to the situation when they received a call about a fire in the crane’s engine compartment at around 7:30 a.m.

While on their way to the scene, the arm of the crane collapsed, causing the outermost section to strike a nearby building, resulting in flying debris. The crane’s arm then slammed into the building before falling onto scaffolding and the street below. The crane operator had noticed the fire breaking out while transporting 16 tons of concrete and attempted to put out the flames, but the fire quickly became uncontrollable, forcing the operator to evacuate.

As a result of the incident, six individuals suffered minor injuries, including construction workers who were outside the building at the time.

The building where the crane was situated was still in the construction phase and was meant to be a 54-story mixed-use structure. It was not immediately known if anyone was inside the building during the crane fire and collapse, and the extent of the building’s damage was uncertain. The adjacent building that the falling crane hit suffered visible damage.

Over 200 firefighters and EMS personnel rushed to the scene, leading to the closure of nearby streets and the evacuation of all buildings in the vicinity. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.