Fire Collapses New York Construction Crane’s Arm, Scattering Pedestrians

(CTN News) – On Wednesday morning, a towering construction crane caught fire high above the west side of Manhattan, losing its long arm, which smashed against a nearby building, dangled in mid-air, and then plummeted to the ground as people ran for their lives down on the sidewalk below.

The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, said four people suffered minor injuries, but no one died as a result of the incident.

This could have been much worse, as you can see from the debris on the street, the Democrat pointed out, noting that at that hour of the morning, the street is frequently clogged with pedestrians, cars, and buses.

At around 7:25 a.m., a fire was reported at the top of a 54-story building in New York City.

Several photos and videos posted on social media showed flames bursting from the car of a crane hundreds of feet above the 10th Avenue at 41st Street intersection.

As a result of the fire having been burning for a while, after having consumed a large amount of wood, the crane’s arm, which had been carrying a 16-ton load, snapped off.

During the fire’s spread, the operator of the crane attempted to put out the flames, but he had to flee to safety as the spread, according to First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer of the Department.

During the firefight, firefighters were stationed on a rooftop deck of another building in order to battle the blaze with hoses. There was a closure of the surrounding streets for the safety of the residents.

Investigations were being conducted to determine the cause of the fire.

There are bus terminals within walking distance of the building as well as an entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, which carries auto traffic between New Jersey and New York under the Hudson River.

SEE ALSO:

Gender Affirming Procedures Now Illegal in Russia, While EU Tightens Laws