Crane Accident in Manhattan Injures 10, Damages High-Rise Building

An accident took place late Sunday morning in Midtown, Manhattan when a huge industrial air conditioner hoisted by a crane fell from a 28 -story building to the sidewalk, causing minor injuries to ten people and damages to the building. Several streets in Manhattan are currently closed due to the ongoing investigation.

The crane mishap happened around 10:45 a.m. at 261 Madison Avenue caused minor injuries to ten people, including two construction workers, two NYPD personnel, one firefighter and five civilians who were driving their cars and walking in pedestrians. They were brought to local hospitals for treatment while three refused receiving medical care.

There is an undergoing investigation on why the air conditioner fell down. Reports say that the floor buckled as the load was being lifted. The workers in the building experienced shaking and buckling of the floor. They felt a weight shift before the air conditioner dropped. Investigators say that there are only two causes why the floor buckled: either the capacity of the floor could not carry the payload or the floor has defects.

FDNY Chief Ron Spadafora shares, "They're trying to put this piece of mechanical equipment into the mechanical floor, which is on the top floor of the building". As the pay load unit tumbled 28 storeys down, it brought with it parts of the building. The façade of the building was heavily damaged. Office chairs from the building fell down the sidewalk while cars were hit by debris from the building.

As a result of the accident, officials closed the streets between Fifth and Park Avenues from 34^th to 42^nd Street while pedestrian lanes were closed between 37^th and 40^th Street. Madison Avenue will be opened as soon as the full investigation ends.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says, "Thank God this incident occurred at an hour of the day on a weekend when there weren't too many people around."