NEW YORK, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Twelve people, including nine civilians and three firefighters, all suffered non-life threatening injuries after a crane collapse in New York City Wednesday, the Fire Department of New York said.
All the injured were transported to local hospitals, according to the FDNY.
One of the firefighters had chest pains and was transported to an area hospital, but all injuries are non-life threatening, New York Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer said at a news conference. Pfeifer added that some of the civilian injuries were to construction workers.
The incident occurred at a construction site on 10th Avenue and 41st Street, where firefighters responded to a five-alarm fire that broke out before the boom of the crane collapsed, striking a building across the street, city officials said.
The fire has since been put out, according to crews on scene. FDNY officials were using drones late Wednesday morning to get a closer look at the crane.
The blaze erupted while the crane operator was lifting about 16 tons of concrete, Pfeifer told reporters. The operator noticed the fire in the crane’s engine and tried to extinguish it but was overwhelmed by the flames, Pfeifer said, adding the operator got out of the crane’s cab safely.
When firefighters arrived, the boom had already crashed to the ground, Pfeifer said. More than 200 fire and EMS personnel responded over the course of the incident.
An inspection by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) after the collapse found the tower crane and impacted buildings were “structurally stable,” the agency tweeted. — NNN-AGENCIES
