That unusual occurrence on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge we mentioned this morning? It turns out a crane hit the bottom of the bridge. WABC 7 reports that a passing ship's crane was the culprit, hitting the 125-year-old structure around 7:30 a.m.: "the crane left debris on the bottom of the bridge, but did not appear to cause any damage to the structure." The Department of Transportation is checking the bridge to make......

The Department of Buildings suspended Michael Carbone, a senior DOB crane inspector, for "neglect of duty." The Post actually contacted the DOB, noting he "had cleared several complaints last year that claimed unqualified operators were working in the industry and that some of their licenses were fraudulent." In fact, a caller or callers kept complaining about crane operators not having licenses or obtaining them fraudulently. Last month, a top DOB official was arrested for giving......

Today was going to Janine Belcastro and Donald Leo's wedding day. But Leo, a crane operator, died in last month's crane collapse on the Upper East Side. The Daily News says Belcastro's sister and friend have taken her on a trip this weekend. A friend said, "She's still too upset. It's still too much for her."......

The Department of Buildings confirmed to the Daily News that it found cracks in a crane at a construction site in lower Manhattan. The crane happens to be a Kodiak tower crane owned by New York Crane & Equipment Co.--the same model and firm involved last month's fatal crane collapse at East 91st Street and First Avenue. Cracks were found in the crane's turntable; the crane in the May collapse also suffered from cracking (it......

An insurance company executive, whose client owned the crane had once been repaired before collapsing on East 91st Street last Friday, said the Department of Buildings knew the crane's history. NationalBuilders Insurance Services executive vice president Kevin Cunningham said, "The DOB inspector certified that it was OK to go back to work." While the insurance company says the 24-year-old tower crane's turntable crack was "minor," investigators suspect the re-welded crack might have given way and......

The Building Department allowed "most" crane operations across the city to resume as the investigation into what caused Friday's fatal crane collapse at East 91st Street continues. Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday, "It would appear that there is no connection whatsoever between the two accidents. They're very different things," the second accident being the March 15 crane collapse which left seven people dead. The March 15 incident may have involved a nylon sling that failed, while......

Yesterday, at a luxury condominium construction site, a crane collapsed at East 91st Street and First Avenue, damaging a building across the street and killing two workers. Though this was the second crane collapse in two months, city officials do not believe the circumstances were similar to th March 15 incident where a condominium construction crane collapsed into buildings, killing seven people. In fact, the DOB believes a weld in the crane is what failed....

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......

Tomorrow marks the start of Construction Safety Week in New York City, less than a week after Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster resigned her position at the Dept. of Buildings. Lancaster admitted to the City Council that the plans for a 43 story tower in Turtle Bay, Manhattan did not meet zoning regulations but were approved anyway. When a tower crane collapsed at that building, dozens of people were hurt and 7 people were killed. Lancaster's......

Photograph of damaged building from the 303 East 51st Street construction site's crane by John Zwinck on Flickr During a press conference yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said, "I don’t think anybody should be fully satisfied with the Department of Buildings’ performance. Whether somebody could have done a better job — I’m trying to — whether they could have done a better job I just don’t know." The Mayor's criticism lies squarely with his hire, architect turned......

Two cats living in an apartment completely destroyed by the Midtown crane collapse have been found and reunited with their owners. The recovery of Mr. Gloves and Gooksie was in no small part due to the efforts of Gini Otway, a neighbor who also volunteers at the animal rescue and adoption organization City Critters. As residents of buildings around the crane collapse were being evacuated, someone told Otway that they had seen a cat huddled......

Photo of a crane on the Upper East Side by Stacyinthecity on flickr In an attempt to prevent another deadly crane accident, the city's Department of Buildings announced changes yesterday to keep construction "sites safe." The agency laid out several new regulations requiring oversight by city inspectors or a project engineer. Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster said that the new rules are "something that should have been happening" before. The engineer that applied for the......

The crane collapse last week that killed seven people showed just how weak the enforcement of safety rules and building codes are in New York City. In addition to the inspector who was arrested for faking a report on the inspection of the crane that collapsed on the East Side, engineer Jose Vargas was arraigned this month for failing to complete a final inspection on a discount store in the Bronx. The building collapsed unexpectedly......

Photograph above taken of the crane's boom, leaning against 300 East 51st Street, with another crane standing by to remove it, by digiart2001 on Flickr; photograph below of a fire hose - residents are getting water from fire trucks - by AllwaysNY on Flickr Rescue crews have recovered the bodies of three people missing since Saturday's fatal crane collapse from a construction site at 303 East 51st Street onto other buildings on East 51st......

The architect who was in the construction site trailer crushed by 14,000 pounds of steel that fell 25 stories from a crane may never walk again. Doctors believe Robert Woo was likely paralyzed; his mother said, "He might not walk again...I've been telling him he's lucky to be alive." It is amazing Woo is alive - seeing photographs of the site, it's incredible he survived - but given the amount of construction and development......

Architect Robert Woo is hospitalized but in stable condition today after the construction trailer he was working in was crushed by a load of falling steel that a crane dropped. The crane was elevating the steel at the site of the new Goldman Sachs building at the World Trade Center. The accident occurred yesterday morning when a nylon sling snapped and seven tons of steel fell 25 stories. Woo was the only person injured......