A construction crane caught fire and partially collapsed in Manhattan this morning. The accident occurred at 10th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets and it was a 54-story building that was under construction. The crane was carrying a 16-ton load of concrete that struck a building as it was falling. City officials said six people were injured, two of them firefighters who had responded to the scene.
The crane was about 45 stories in the air. A fire had broken out in the engine compartment of the crane. Nearby buildings were evacuated. The fire department sounded five alarms that brought approximately 200 first responders to the scene.
The fire broke out shorty before 8 a.m. Reports said that the crane operator tried to extinguish it but failed and called in the first fire alarm. Numerous streets in the area were closed. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the city was very fortunate because the situation could have been much worse.
The video below that actually shows the crane collapsing was provided by CNN Wire as was the second video below that shows the accident scene at street level.
