At least one person was killed in a parked car and three more were reportedly injured on Friday when a massive, 15-story tall construction crane toppled over in lower Manhattan, in NYC, Friday morning.
A video shot by Glenn Zito from the window of a nearby office building captured the moment when the crane collapsed.
“It’s starting to move again. He’s moving fast now. He’s dropping it really quick,” Zito says as the crane starts to bend over. “Oh sh*t! It’s falling! It’s falling! Oh it broke!” Zito yells.
In a press conference today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters that workers were in the process of lowering to secure the crawler crane due to winds topping 20mph (32 km/h) when it fell smashing into a number of buildings before crashing on Worth and Church streets in Tribeca at about 8:30 AM.
According to the mayor, the person who was killed was sitting in a parked car when the crane collapsed, adding that two bystanders were seriously injured, while a third one suffered minor injuries, all from falling debris.
De Blasio said that safety precautions were in place “which is why the crane was being lowered in the first place, but obviously, something went wrong in that process; there’s going to be a full investigation”.
Photos via FDNY
Video
Update on Manhattan crane collapse: 1 confirmed dead, 1 seriously injured, more photos from the scene pic.twitter.com/aLYEsGOdyt— Breaking News (@NewsOnTheMin) February 5, 2016
ALERT: There has been a major crane collapse on 40 Worth St in Lower Manhatten. (via @ADiLorenzoTV) pic.twitter.com/8KyxezGomC— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) February 5, 2016
.@NYPDChiefofDept, @FDNY & @nycoem survey crane collapse in Lower Manhattan with Mayor @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/lgbqAY9vif— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 5, 2016
#FDNY on scene of crane collapse at 40 Worth St & W Bdwy in Manhattan. 1 patient confirmed DOA, 2 serious pic.twitter.com/NLGhUGgTgI— FDNY (@FDNY) February 5, 2016
#FDNY operating on scene of crane collapse at 40 Worth St & W Bdwy in Manhattan. 1 fatality confirmed, 2 serious pic.twitter.com/6aUjhB7J4o— FDNY (@FDNY) February 5, 2016
#FDNY on scene of crane collapse at Worth St & W Bdwy in #Tribeca. 1 fatality confirmed, 2 patients serious pic.twitter.com/NWUYp5RC3t— FDNY (@FDNY) February 5, 2016
Jesus….this crane just fell down in New York pic.twitter.com/HWIgzTYNol— SB 2 Days (@ashAbraith) February 5, 2016