WorldA New York City highrise that was under construction when columns buckled and bricks tumbled into the street below during the Tuesday morning rush hour remained unstable and was still moving, forcing nearby buildings to evacuate, officials said.'This is an extremely serious situation,' mayor saysThe Associated Press · Posted: Jul 07, 2026 2:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.People point up at a building in New York City, which was reported to have structural issues, on Tuesday. (Jordan Tovin/Reuters)Columns of an under-construction highrise buckled and bricks tumbled into the street below in New York City on Tuesday morning. It remains unstable and is still moving, forcing nearby buildings to evacuate, officials said.The 1970s-era office building is being converted to luxury apartments, and is the former global headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. It's located in a busy corridor about a block from the landmark Chrysler Building and between Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations headquarters.A nearby school with about 400 children was among the evacuated buildings, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. There were no reports of injuries and all workers inside the office tower were accounted for, he said at a press conference at the scene.Mamdani said engineers are working on ways to shore up the damaged floors and use drones to monitor the building so that they don't have to send people in."This is an extremely serious situation," he said.The former Pfizer headquarters building is seen on Tuesday. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Fire Department Chief John Esposito added that the building has continued to move as emergency officials have been on scene. Nearby streets were closed to people and vehicles.2 people arrested after hanging 'power of love' banner on Empire State Building antennaThe Fire Department of New York said it received reports of bricks falling at around 8 a.m. from the 37-storey tower. Officials found two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors and that floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors.The office-to-residential conversion has been billed as the largest in the city's history, according to Gensler, the architectural firm leading the project. The planned complex with more than 1,600 units includes adding more than a dozen stories atop the building's original tower while also redesigning an adjoining tower.New York City firefighters are seen on scene near the building deemed unstable by officials on Tuesday. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)A spokesperson for Gensler did not immediately return a voicemail and email seeking comment.The city's building department said its inspectors and engineers were on the scene at 235 E. 42nd St."Our top priority right now," the mayor said earlier, "is the safety of those who live in this area and the safety of those who work in this area."