Top and middle photographs by Dima Gavrysh/AP
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. Department of Buildings Acting Commissioner Robert LiMandri issued a statement (read it in full below) suggesting a faulty weld may have been the culprit:
While we have no reason to believe the cause of today’s accident was in any way similar to the crane accident that took place on March 15, I have suspended all tower crane erection, dismantling and jumping operations in New York City until Monday, June 2, 2008 to enable our cranes personnel to focus on remedial work that must take place to make the 91st Street site safe.
“In addition, as the Department conducts its investigation into the cause of today’s tragic accident, forensic experts will be focusing on a particular weld that failed and will be fully examining the crane model – Kodiak – which is no longer in production. There are currently four Kodiak cranes in use in New York City. I am ordering immediate re-inspections of these models and a review of all of their maintenance logs in an attempt to ensure that whatever caused the collapse is isolated to this particular crane."
Keep in mind, LiMandri's predecessor Patricia Lancaster resigned last month after a series of high-profile problems stemming from DOB misfires capped off by the March 15 crane collapse.
The type of crane used had a turntable that allowed the boom to turn. According to a NY Times source who examined the crane, "it appeared that the weld cracked and gave way, allowing the turntable, cab and boom to topple over, crashing into an apartment building across 91st Street." Last month, on April 22, buildings inspectors found the crane did not pass a load test (see DOB complaint here), though the crane was cleared to be raised earlier this week. The Daily News reports, "The department also is investigating allegations the same crane cracked at a project on W.46th St. and was welded before it was sent to the doomed building at 333 E. 91st St." Also, the crane may have been old --Kodiak dissolved as a business in 1982.
Photograph of rescue crews after removing a body by Mary Altaffer/AP
The fatalities were the crane's operator and an employee of Metropolitan Water and Sewer. According to co-workers, Donald Leo, 30, was supposed to be in the crane later that day, but the morning operator was late so he took over. The Post says he was "trying to wheel around to move a fresh load up the side of the planned luxury high-rise" when the crane, in the words of a co-worker, "came tumbling down like a house of cards." His father had been working at another construction site and saw his son's remains. Leo was raised on Staten Island and lived in Monmouth Beach, NJ, was getting reading for his June 21 wedding.
Ramadan Kurtaj, a 27-year-old Albanian immigrant who lived with relatives in the Bronx, was on the ground when he was killed by the collapsing equipment and debris. His uncle said Kurtaj had his green card, "He came two years ago, he came for a better life for his family," and added he dreaded telling Kurtaj's parents. Two other construction site workers were injured, and a pedestrian suffered minor injuries. Amazingly, no one in 354 East 91st Street, the building across the street that was gutted on the penthouse and lower floors, was injured.
The Daily News created a diagram (above) of the incident and the NY Times has an interactive graphic showing how the crane collapsed. Residents of six buildings that had been evacuated were allowed back in, but 354 East 91st remains vacated. First Avenue from 86th to 94th Streets is still closed (vehicles cannot turn onto 1st Avenue as far south as 79th Street), and East 91st and East 90th Streets are closed between 2nd and York Avenues.
And here's DOB Acting Commissioner LiMandri's full statement:
“I am deeply troubled by the devastating accident that took place today at East 91st Street and my heart goes out to the families of the workers killed and injured.“While we have no reason to believe the cause of today’s accident was in any way similar to the crane accident that took place on March 15, I have suspended all tower crane erection, dismantling and jumping operations in New York City until Monday, June 2, 2008 to enable our cranes personnel to focus on remedial work that must take place to make the 91st Street site safe.
“In addition, as the Department conducts its investigation into the cause of today’s tragic accident, forensic experts will be focusing on a particular weld that failed and will be fully examining the crane model – Kodiak – which is no longer in production. There are currently four Kodiak cranes in use in New York City. I am ordering immediate re-inspections of these models and a review of all of their maintenance logs in an attempt to ensure that whatever caused the collapse is isolated to this particular crane.
“Finally, tomorrow morning, I am calling an emergency meeting at the Buildings Department to bring industry experts, labor, crane owners, maintenance companies and OSHA personnel together to make immediate recommendations for our ongoing efforts to make crane operations safer.”
