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Photograph by seth_holladay
A crane collapsed at 1st Avenue and 91st Street on the Upper East Side around 8:15 a.m. According to initial reports, there are people trapped inside. There is wreckage on 91st Street, with FDNY and other emergency responder going through the rubble. The crane was located at a new construction site.
Crane safety and new construction has come under new scrutiny after the March 15 crane collapse that claimed the lives of 7 people--a civilian and six workers at a new condominium on East 51st Street. Earlier this week, the Department of Buildings announced that its inspectors will no longer be on site when cranes are built "or made taller". Per the NY Times, "Instead, inspectors will make spot checks of the crane raisings, known as jumps, and of safety meetings at which procedures for each jump must be laid out.
Update: The FDNY is reporting two fatalities at this point. Apparently the top of a crane--including the cab-- fell off (possibly 10 stories) and hit a building across the street (it looks like a penthouse across the street has a corner taken out of it). WABC 7 reports the crane may have been in full extension, snapped in half and hit the building.
Photograph by seth_holladay on Flickr
A Dateline producer, Ellen Sherman, who lives in the area, tells WNBC 4 that she heard a noise and thought to herself, "It's the crane." Also, WABC 7 doesn't think the wind was the cause, because the chopper is calm.
The under-construction building is the Azure (as Curbed suggested), which is supposed to be 34 stories high. It is located at 333 East 91 Street, or 1765 First Avenue--the northwest corner of 91st and First.
First Avenue is closed between 86th street and 94th Street. 91st Street is closed between 2nd and York Avenues. The M15, M31, and M86 buses are diverted.
WCBS TV has two live webstreams of the crane collapse online. And Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said, "This is totally mind blowing. It looks like a bomb exploded in Manhattan. It's just a total tragedy."
Here's a link to the Department of Buildings listing on the building; a complaint on May 20 said, "CALLER STS THERE IS A CRANE APPROX 12 STORIES UP AND THERE IIS A PLATFORM THAT EXTENDS ACROSS SIDEWALK AND WELL INTO TRAFFIC WITHEQUIPMENT ON IT . LOCATION IS WEST SIDE OF 1 AVENUE APPROX 90 ST." It was inspected and the DOB deemed, "NO ACTION NECESSARY NO UNSAFE CONDITIONS ."
The cab operator, recently married, apparently survived. Now WNBC 4, after a conversation with some workers, is saying there was no load on the crane at the time and that the crane was stationary. Also, the crane jumping took place last week. Debris is scattered all over the intersection, and the NYPD says a beam landed three blocks away.
Now OEM says one person has died and at least two other people are in critical condition. More new info from WNBC 4's Tim Minton: This kind of crane has two cab operators--one was on the ground at the time of the accident (that worker is fine) but the worker who was in the crane did die. Also, two people not involve with the construction may have been injured.
The damaged building across from the Azure seems to be 1749 First Avenue (based on Duane Reade's locator, as there's a Duane Reade on the ground floor)-- the penthouse has a huge gash in it and there's a huge hole in the north side of the building, maybe six floors up. It's unclear if anyone in that building was injured. WNBC's Dan Rice says it seems like the turntable of the crane fell into the building, creating this hole that's about 2-3 stories high.
Mayor Bloomberg says the accident is "unacceptable." A construction worker told WABC 7 that the buildings inspector had checked out the site on Wednesday. A construction worker not affiliated with the site (he's working on the LES) suggested to WNBC that the crane might not have been properly balanced--he also said maybe DOB inspectors aren't paid enough to attract good people and that it's critical to pay attention to procedure and understanding structural issues.
UPDATE 10:14am: workers at the scene are stabilizing the remaining section of the crane, which is attached to the building with a collar. At the same time, helicopter shots are showing other personnel inspecting the turntable at the top-- that's got to be a scary place to be right now.
UPDATE 10:27am: NY1 is reporting that the demolished "penthouse" on the building across the street was actually the leasing office for the building, and because of how early the accident occurred, no one appears to have been inside.
And Mayor Bloomberg is scheduled to speak by 11:15 a.m.
Update 11:22 a.m.: Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Paterson, FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta and OEM Commissioner Joseph Bruno are on the scene. Bloomberg says there was one fatality, two very seriously injured. All males, all construction workers. There was one pedestrian who suffered a minor injury. He said, "Our first concern is to stabilize the area. We've evacuated seven buildings as a precaution."
He said the crane was "stepped" (jumped) last week and that it was fully in compliance with regulations, "so we don't know why the top" snapped off. The building that was hit was 354 East 91st Street. Other buildings that were evacuated, strictly as a precaution: 400 East 91st, 401 East 91st, 403 East 91st, 404 East 91st, 1750 First Avenue, 1752 First Avenue and 1754 First Avenue.
Governor Paterson said, "Our thoughts and sympathy and prayers go out to the family of the construction worker killed and the two who were injured." He also emphasized that residents were thankful for the emergency response.
When asked during the Q&A session, Bloomberg doesn't think anything's wrong at the Department of Buildings, "The DOB didn't crash. It was the crane that collapsed." He said, "Keep in mind construction is a dangerous business-- you'll always have fatalities...Two accidents do not make a pattern."
Acting DOB Commissioner Bob LiMandri says the crane was a tower crane (not the kind of crane used in the March 15 collapse). The crane went through the steps put into place by the DOB after the March 15 collapse--there was a pre-meeting in early April, the DOB was on scene when the crane was erected on April 21, the crane was jumped twice - 5/22 and 5/27 (Tuesday - and the DOB was present during both those times. He confirmed there was a complaint yesterday that about materials being hoisted over the street, which is a violation. LiMandri says it's unclear what the crane was doing during the time of the accident.
Details: The architect is James Davidson, the building is owned by 1765 First Associates, General Contractor Demattis Construction, the crane is owned by NY Crane and the Sabarro (sp?) concrete company rented the crane. LiMandri added that the DOB is in the midst of a $4 million program to review crane safety, excavation and concrete operations.
Mayor Bloomberg stepped in and said, "What has happened in unacceptable and intolerable," but added that it appeared the contractor and the DOB followed the rules.
Update 2:52p.m.: One of the injured people died; it is unclear what his injuries were, but there was one construction worker whose "chest [was] slashed open."
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holy shit! im looking at the live footage on the news. hope everyone is alright...
what the fuck?? i thought the city was inspecting all these cranes recently. how can this happen again.
wtf is bloomy doing. oh yeah, trying to push homeless people out of Manhatten. and build more condos then we can count. this just pisses me off because its senseless deaths and injuries.
This stuff is out of control. The Dept. of Buildings needs to get an f'ing handle on this.
Seriously, this is awful. They need to shut down all crane-based construction sites in the city until each can be inspected. To hell with the developers. (I know this suggestion would cost workers money, but that's better than more innocent people being killed.) This is what people mean when they talk about unchecked capitalism and what it can lead to.
Jesus fucking christ! Only in New York does this shit happen. Well, New York and third-world countries. I wish I didn't have to pay so much to live in an American facsimile of Zimbabwe.
How can this keep happening? Bellevue, WA had a crane collapse in November 2006 which killed a resident of a building the crane hit. The city shut down ALL cranes until they could be inspected and found 2 with problems and one of those 2 was dismantled and replaced.
Why does New York City with far far more cranes not shut down and inspect all cranes like hslaton mentioned above and Bellevue, WA did after ONE death. I would not feel safe if a crane was next to my building right now.
When will NYC see the writing on the wall? Don't people see that this eerily similar to the Tower of babel (not that I'm a religious fanatic, Christian, or religious at all, for that matter). NYers do not consider that their misguided enthusiasms in rapidly building all these condos may be just a bit shortsighted; it appears that the long-term consequences of these condo development may result in a plight to the apostate state of humanity.
"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;"...
"...The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
Good job Jen. I'm impressed with the thorough coverage just an hour after the incident.
Why the need to dilute your points with all the weirdo-speak? :roll:
greed greed greed
Esquared, you ought to get hold of Pat Robertson and have him contact Jerry Falwell and tell him they were right about NYC.
There's nothing supernatural about this, obviously the city has to micro-manage the construction industry. They and the real estate families have had their way long enough.
Wow, Mr Mel is right: At this point, The construction industry is begging to be micromanaged.
Also, excellent coverage Jen.
it appears that the long-term consequences of these condo development may result in a plight to the apostate state of humanity.
jesus, relax. it's an accident. they happen. statistically speaking, crane collapses aren't all that frequent. Here, we have 2 that happened within a few months of each other. Bad luck, but not a sign of the apocalypse.
What about the benefits of new condo development? Outside of jobs, newer buildings can house more people more efficiently, new electrical wiring, elevators, sprinklers means better fire/safety protections and more lives saved. Those benefits aren't necessarily visible, but they are there.
If you're living near a crane, assuming all the buildings have the same tolerances, the safest building to be in is the one right next to it, because it won't gather as much momentum than it would if it fell across the street.
How much more lazy can these contractors get? They already take long enough as is...how much more overhead could you possibly add for just checking up on the crane every few days or so?
Aw jeez. This is starting to make me nervous! I live in Queens where there are few cranes to be seen, but I work right across from a giant building being constructed. I can often see an enormous crane right outside my window. Gives me the willies. I hope all these horrible ugly buildings are worth it to someone..
More job openings at the Department of Buildings.
sad day for the UES. i hope everyone is ok. no mean comments on this topic people.
Certain basic steps seem to be indicated:
1. Stop all development involving cranes UFN.
2. Terminate the DoB and dismiss those who work for it with prejudice.
3. Start to construct a new regulatory agency along the lines of one in some city where cranes don't fall down every few weeks. Hire new people. Don't even use the same offices as the old DoB -- there might be zombie viruses in the walls.
4. Prohibit developers (companies and high-mangement personnel) who have serious accidents from working in the city any more.
5. People in the construction unions need to realize that their leadership isn't protecting them, and elect new leadership, unless they just like to live dangerously.
I understand that none of this is going to happen -- Bloomie and the City Council are devoted worshipers of big real estate -- but I thought I'd huff and puff a bit.
god this just pisses me off! this city just wants to build build build. at any cost. i'd like to know why anyone should feel safe in any of the buildings that are going up these days. if standards are so low that their cranes keep crashing, who's to say that they wont be cutting similar corners in the acutal construction of the buildings!
man! it just makes me want to go live in the woods and screw this capitalist train wreck.
To get a little perspective, go to google and search for "crane collapse" and any major city. Chicago, San Francisco, London, Dubai, wherever.
These kinds of accidents happen everywhere, but they generally are a local news story more than a national or international one; people wring their hands for a few weeks and then forget it.
SD. Don't make blanket statements about the construction industry, it's unhelpful.
People are already talking about the two crane collapses like they are related. Statistically, you can do that, but it doesn't explain the fact that these are two different situations and unrelated failures.
Whether or not more inspection would help here is not a sure thing. Something could've broke after the crane was erected in a place that's impossible to inspect. This could be the manufacturer's fault.
How about we figure out what first before we start talking about bureaucracy or doomsday?
To echo a few of the others' sentiments: GREAT job on the up-to-date reporting, Jen. This is very helpful, especially for those of us who aren't close to televisions.
The fact that there has been yet another construction accident in nyc in such a short time is simply UNACCEPTABLE. the nyc department of buildings should be ashamed. and where is osha? clearly there are some significant issues associated with the use of this type of crane and ALL projects using this type of equipment should be suspended until they can be properly and thoroughly inspected. i am so sorry for all the people who have been injured or killed and their families. the construction company, the developer and the government should all be taken to task for these egregious occurrences.
Call your City Council representative!!!
I just called Jessica Lappin, councilwoman for this district --ALSO the same district of the March 15 collapse!-- and let her staff know I believe there should be a moratorium on crane activity until the cause of this incident is fully understood.
http://www.jessicalappin.com
Jessica Lappin' office: 212-535-5554
NYI reports that this is the SAME construction company!
I'm not sure if this is been mentioned yet...but yesterday I was reading an article in the NY Times how the city has changed inspection rules again, making it easier on these construction companies and their use of cranes. I was sitting in Madison Square Park looking at that huge crain on 23rd and Madison thinking about how this could happen again. Link for the Times article. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/nyregion/29crane.html?scp=6&sq=crane&st=nyt
NY1 reporting the top apt with the roof bashed in was the leasing office of the building. We got lucky on this one folks... no one living in that space and too early for anyone to be at work. But what about next time? Frack!
"To get a little perspective, go to google and search for "crane collapse" and any major city. Chicago, San Francisco, London, Dubai, wherever.
These kinds of accidents happen everywhere, but they generally are a local news story more than a national or international one; people wring their hands for a few weeks and then forget it. - eyekantspel"
Tell this to the families who have died because of this. I dare you. I doubt that you will because you're a coward. There is obviously a problem going on with development in this city and to just ignore it and say "well it happens everywhere" is irresponsible and stupid.
With all the condos going up in NYC, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.
Call your City Council representative!!!
I just called Jessica Lappin, councilwoman for this district --ALSO the same district of the March 15 collapse!-- and let her staff know I believe there should be a moratorium on crane activity until the cause of this incident is fully understood.
lol, yes, let's call Councilwoman Lappin to save the day.
Good news-- the moratorium can be lifted, as the cause of this incident is traced back to a little known "law of gravity." People lift heavy objects. Something breaks. Heavy objects fall.
Apologies to the people immediately impacted by this accident, not trying to be trite. We should obviously do our best to keep these accidents from happening - the goal is always zero accidents- but the fact is, from time to time, things and people will fail. Figure out why, revise policies, wait for the next crane to fall.
#8 - WTF? a motherfucking crane fell. No need to get all "The Rapture" with us.
nativeRoot, I think NY1 is wrong. The Azure's website says that the sales office (no leasing) is on 86th Street.
Holy crap.
I was on the BQE this morning heading to work and i see an Office of Emergency Management bus speeding by blasting sirens. I thought it was odd and sarcastically thought to myself "oh what, did another crane collapse?"
I get to work and HOLY CRAP!
Have yall notice how often these construction accidents occur, along with the increasing number of bank robberies?
One DEAD, how many more to come?
How many more?
The whole incident is very unfortunate and it doesn't help when near by residents interviewed have all commented on how unsafe the crane seemed to begin with.
Don't take #31's bait folks....
it's weird how a crane falls and 2 people die and everyone's all "the sky is falling! mankind is doomed!" when just 2 weeks ago 60,000 people died in a blink of an eye in china.
hey mr/ms compassionate eyekantspel, the news anchors mentioned the idea of a halting crane activity while this one is being investigated. gee, call me crazzzzy, but it sounded like a reasonable idea! i personally prefer my head NOT bashed in. gee, go figure...
Jessica Lappin was speaking on the phone this morning with NY1 and gave out her office ph # telling concerned citizens to call.
but, if you're the type to sit on your @$$ and do nothing/say nothing, then good for you!
The lack of oversight and commitment to public safety this administration when it comes to real estate development is just disgusting.
But oh yes, lets make sure Red Hook vendors pay $30,000 for stainless steel carts so that nobody gets a stomach ache from a taco...but forget about oversight of luxury condo development...that would be Communism.
And it's not just the two crane accidents, anyone who's been in New York for the last few years know that...so enough of these "relax it's just two accidents" nonsense. The cranes have only been the most dramatic incidents.
but, if you're the type to sit on your @$$ and do nothing/say nothing, then good for you!
that's what I'll do, instead of calling a councilwoman and pretending that is going to make a difference. Seriously, does Jessica Lappin really need her constituents to CALL her to get her to take action here? She's an elected official where these accidents have taken place, she's obviously aware that this took place-- it's her JOB to get involved and try to do something about it. I'm sure Weiner and other politicians will quickly follow suit, like vultures to the free p.r. feast.
Seriously, if you want to demonstrate your compassion, how about donating some money or time to help the families of the people who died? Writing a bunch of "how sad, how tragic" comments on a blog doesn't make you any more of a compassionate person than an ahole like me who recognizes that accidents happen and thinks "shut the city down" is a stupid response.
DBC, Azure is the building being built...
the name of the building that was struck is the Electra. People who live in the damaged building have been on the phone with NY1 and they have said the top apt with the collapsed roof is the leasing office.
okay, i'm outta here. sadly, there are soon to be more ridiculous, callous and asinine comments by retards who obviously have ZERO ability to comprehend the safety concerns New Yorkers should address if we would like at least some sense of assurance that our city officials aren't turning a blind eye to these incidents.
you've got a building full of people standing out on the street freaked outta there minds and i would guess thousands more with cranes outside their apts wondering if/when it might happen to them. but yea, why do anything about it, right? why raise any questions or concerns? takes too much effort, right?
douches.
did I hear the Mayor say a passenger inside a taxi cab was injured? what are the odds?
pretty good when stuff falls down on you.
If Jessica Lappin tells me to call, I will Call.
she's kinda cute.
Just echoing the compliments for great coverage here. For all the griping about typos and editorial perspective here, when there's a major news story in NYC, I often find good information here at gothamist well before good info is on the local news sites. I realize part of that is due to the format (blogs can play a little looser with sources and edit when new facts are available) but this is where Gothamist really earns its stripes.
As for the crane accidents, this HAS to lead to some pretty significant regulatory changes and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few people facing criminal charges. I think the number of major crane/construction incidents over the past 2-3 years is well beyond statistical chance. This industry needs some cleaning up and oversight.
DOB should suspend all crane activity as of right now.
They are predicting rain for tomorrow so I would suggest some temporary protection for the building involved. Otherwise a lot of people will lose more than they already have.
What is OEM doing about this?
Its true that accidents do happen, and I'm hardly one for frivilous regulation or legal action... But there is rampant neglect and carelessness happening on development sites right now. The two crane collapses are only a (very dramatic and newsworthy) fraction of the problem. Just ask the people working on the construction sites.
Speed and profit are being put above safety by a rather alarming number of private developers (there are countless safety complaints against them, particularly against a certain ). If the industry cannot effectively protect the public from bodily harm, the government needs to step in and protect us.
This does not mean the end of the world and it does not mean the whole city is doomed to collapse in upon itself. I know shit happens and mistakes get made.
But for the love of christ, can the city please step up and at least MILDLY INCONVENIENCE these millionaires that are building generic luxury condos that are displacing residents, negatively impacting quality of life, and freakin' KILLING PEOPLE with large metal towers? We're being put into mortal danger by a corrupt group of people who want nothing more than to make a quick buck.
I hope Bloomberg continues his pattern of enacting swift and effective policy to protect the health and well-being of this town.
This really is a tragedy. My thoughts:
Bloomberg - just STFU. This happens again under your administration. Less talk, more action.
Patterson - why even show up? You can't see anything. There's no point in you stumbling around and getting in the way. Just turn on 1010 WINS and listen.
Babyhitler - just STFU and deliver my General Tso's Chicken already!!! Stop messing around on this messageboard and deliver my food!
TWO crane accidents doesn't make a pattern? How about FOUR in the last 6 months?
- WTC in December - 1 paralyzed
- Trump SoHo - 1 dead
- 51st St. - 7 dead
- 91st St. - 2 dead so far
Bloomberg is a jerk.
@ nativeRoot
I misunderstood your post. I thought you said it was the leasing office for the building being constructed, not for the damaged building.
This is NYC. Cranes collapse here everyday. We should be used to it by now.
jaja007, babyh would love to deliver your chicken but Mexican gangs stole his bike!!!
49- I'd deliver you some cream of sum yung gai. But you probably eat fried chicken, watermelon and collard greens everyday.
i hear ya dbc...
that was just a neighborly heads up to you because you seem like someone who was interested in accurate info.
my rants were directed toward the douchebags who think this is no big deal.
yea, i woke up to the roaring sound of 7 choppers flying over my place this morning. that's normal right? innocent people's lives are at risk all over this city because "we should all get used to it".
brilliant!
[3] wtf is bloomy doing. oh yeah, trying to push homeless people out of Manhatten. and build more condos then we can count. this just pisses me off because its senseless deaths and injuries.
-----------------------------------------
Are you nuts??? I've never seen more homeless people!!!
I've seen 4 people pee on my building this week alone... its terrible!!!!
#50- I totally agree with you. This isn't just about cranes either. How about all the scaffolding accidents and other construction accidents that happen in NYC every year? While I realize that accidents happen, I really don't think there is enough being done to prevent these accidents.
they'll be opening camp laguardia again for the homeless. can't have them blocking our sidewalks when there's condo's to be built.
That's right babyhitler. I eat watermellon everyday. I do it to save money to raise that $50 you'll need to buy your bike back from the street thug "homie" gangs.
Trump soho wasn't a crane collapse. It had something to do with the concrete breaking through the wooden formwork.
It won't do any good to suspend all crane activity and inspect all of them. They just inspected all the cranes in the city after the last accident.
I'm curious as to what the cause of the accident is. It seems odd that the top would just snap off unless the operator didn't balance a load properly.
What I don't understand is why cranes are any different from other pieces of heavy machinery. When a plane crashes, do you people say "suspend all flights immediately"?
When those tower cranes jump, they are at their weakest and a shockingly large number of them fall every year. What's going on here is the rush to build as many subsidized condos before the rules change. This, added to Bloomie's lack of interest in code enforcement has led to an amazing death toll. Pretty soon we're going to wonder if anything can get built here without people dying. ( Take my advice: avoid the WTC area for the next 6 years)
[3] wtf is bloomy doing. oh yeah, trying to push homeless people out of Manhatten. and build more condos then we can count. this just pisses me off because its senseless deaths and injuries.
-----------------------------------------
[56] Are you nuts??? I've never seen more homeless people!!!
I've seen 4 people pee on my building this week alone... its terrible!!!!
----------------------
I'm sorry. I didn't make myself clear. I assumed everyone followed the news. He's trying to close down homeless shelters on the UES and increase the capacity of an already too full homeless shelter in Crown Heights (the Armory). My point was, Bloomberg does not not give a d*mn about the middle class or outer boroughs.
Unless I'm mistaken, this crane was not jumping.
Manhatten is becoming more and more dangerous for the rich people who live there, rapists, car accidents, and all of a sudden cranes. Glad I live in NJ but for some reason I wish I still worked in NY.
Interesting. Shanghai has also had two cranes collapsing just over the weekend:
http://shanghaiist.com/2008/06/02/around_shanghai_9.php
What's with all these cranes collapsing simultaneously around the world?!
I'm glad New York City Buildings Department already updated the crane regulations, thanks to commissioner Robert LiMandri's effort. Read the article at Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman law blog and Mr. Lichtman, one of the senior partner of the said construction accident law office based in New York has a comment about the recent crane regulations..