Spinning Crane Sends Large Slabs Of Metal Falling Onto Midtown Street: ‘We Heard A Huge Crash’
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Large slabs of metal fell from a spinning crane on a Midtown high-rise Thursday, causing chaos below.
The 84-story building was under construction near 57th Street and Sixth Avenue.
Overnight, authorities were able to secure the crane, but they still have streets and sidewalks around the area closed off just in case it happens again, saying there’s still some debris hanging on the building.
The video is daunting to watch, but according to the Department of Buildings, the crane spinning madly atop the high-rise is normals — what’s known as “weathervaning.” When not in use, it allows the crane to swan, reducing wind resistance and increasing stability.
But what came next is far from ordinary. Slabs of metal crashed down on the ground.
“Apparently, the building is glass and metal and aluminum, and pieces of metal that are maybe 5 feet big that weigh up to 300 pounds. That’s what we’re dealing with that could come down into the street,” FDNY Assistant Chief John Hodgins said.
Crane spinning in midtown @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/LQg95vpJ7I
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No injuries were reported, and we now know how the close call happened — a loose cable.
“Rescue Company got up to the upper floors of the building and realized that there was a tower crane. That cable was hanging from the boom that was a little lower than it should have been, and it was spinning and hitting the building and making debris down into the street,” said Hodgins.
The chaos started around 7 p.m. Thursday.
“We saw people running some places, all the directions,” witness Mario Cruz told CBS2.
Restaurant manager Ghani Elmardi was installing plastic around his outdoor dining table on Sixth Avenue when, all of a sudden, big slabs of metal came crashing down feet away from him.
“We heard a huge crash, thought it was an explosion of some sort,” he said. “We got some of the dust from the broken glass, like, hit us on the back. That’s why we turned around because with the crash and the debris kind of sweeping at your feet, we turned around and we saw the whole thing just laying down there.”
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Exactly eight years ago to the day, Hurricane Sandy toppled a crane over at a different building also on 57th Street.
Similar to this time, witnesses were counting their blessings.
Luckily all the cars in traffic stopped right before it landed, but once it landed, it blocked traffic, and luckily no one was hurt on this side,” said Elmardi.
Authorities have 56th Street to 58th Street from 5th Ave to 8th Ave blocked off until the area is more secure.
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October 30, 2020 at 04:50PM
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