See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:33 BST, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 16:45 BST, 7 July 2026
A Midtown Manhattan office building that was being renovated into luxury apartments has been evacuated amid fears that it is on the verge of collapsing.Construction crews self-evacuated from the 37-story skyscraper on East 42nd Street just after 8am Tuesday after they discovered that two support beams had begun to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floors.The 21st to 26th floors of the building started caving in under the stress, officials say. Terrifying footage filmed by workers inside the building showed the massive silver beams buckling and bending just moments before the floor started crumbling. No injuries have been reported, according to the NYPD, but an evacuation has been ordered as a precaution. Eight nearby buildings have also been evacuated as emergency crews work the scene. The FDNY said it is undertaking 'a major technical rescue response.' The skyscraper, which once housed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury rental complex.A site worker has accused the construction project's general contractor of irresponsibility in wake of the emergency evacuation. The Manhattan office building, which once housed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers noticed cracks and buckling columns Several FDNY crews outside the 37-story skyscraper on East 42nd Street on Tuesday Terrifying footage filmed by workers inside the building showed the massive silver beams buckling and bending just moments before the floor started to crumble'The general contractor chose to go non‑union for this project. All we want is responsible construction in the City of New York,' Cliff Johnson, of Steamfitters Local 638, told PIX 11.'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 construction site was issued seven violations from the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) last year, public records showed.The violations, which resulted in over $32,000 in penalties, were construction safety-related and have since been resolved.One of the penalties was a $10,000 violation for failing to notify the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) of a construction incident that resulted in injury.DOB inspectors responded to the site on Tuesday in response to the evacuations and are actively investigating the situation.The department does have an active permit for the ongoing construction work, officials said. First responders were dispatched to the hi-rise building just after 8am Tuesday Eight nearby buildings have also been evacuated as emergency crews work the scene East 42nd Street, between Second and Third avenues, is closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as officials continue their investigation. Commuters are advised to avoid the area Construction crews self-evacuated from the 37-story skyscraper after they discovered that two support beams had begun to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floorsEast 42nd Street, between Second and Third avenues, is closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Commuters are advised to avoid the area.Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged anyone in the area to follow the instructions of the first responders on site.'Now luckily there have been no injuries to report at this time, all workers are accounted for, the building has been evacuated, a number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated at this time, a school with about 400 children has also been evacuated,' he said.This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
