Hopefully the building holds up.
New Yorkers are on high alert after a building in Midtown Manhattan was evacuated after two columns buckled sparking fear the building would soon collapse.
The building that is currently in danger of collapsing is the former headquarters for Pfizer but has since been under construction to be turned into a housing complex.
Here was the scene:
A building in midtown Manhattan was evacuated after fire officials said two columns buckled and floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors. Several buildings nearby have also been evacuated over concerns of a potential collapse. CBS News' @lilialuciano has more. pic.twitter.com/mHMTiMjN8A
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 7, 2026
The New York Times had the full details:
A high-profile housing project under construction near Grand Central Terminal was at risk of collapse on Tuesday, prompting an emergency response during the morning rush in Midtown Manhattan, the authorities said.
Fire officials said they received a call just before 8 a.m. about falling bricks near 235 East 42nd Street, where the former headquarters of Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, is being converted to a residential complex with more than 1,600 apartments. The project, which architects said would be the largest of its kind in New York City history, was scheduled to be completed in 2027.
On Tuesday, a safety manager reported that a steel beam was compromised on the 21st floor, according to Buildings Department records. The Fire Department said that two support columns inside the building were buckling, and several upper floors were sagging.
Cliff Jensen, a business agent for the Steamfitters Local 638 Union, said fitters were evacuated after the beams started to bend.
“The north side of that building is crumbling,” he said. “I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there.” The developers and authorities did not say what had caused the damage, and Mr. Jensen’s claim could not be immediately confirmed.
Here was a worker’s account of the incident:
A worker inside the building recounts the moment the beams began to buckle and the floors started to “crumble.” pic.twitter.com/t2D4TBXkf7
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 7, 2026
A building in downtown Manhattan was evacuated pic.twitter.com/TDImwZEq1n
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) July 7, 2026
ABC 7 News provided a statement from Zohran Mamdani:
Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised anyone in the area to follow the instructions of first responders on the ground.
“Now luckily there have been no injuries to report at this time, all workers are accounted for, the building has been evacuated, a number of tall buildings in the area are also being evacuated at this time, a school with about 400 children has also been evacuated,” Mamdani said.
Watch here:
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani discussed the situation in Midtown Manhattan where several floors of an office building that's under construction are caving in on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of several adjacent buildings and street closures. More: https://t.co/oEehKE2hzy pic.twitter.com/zvqbl8VJuy
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 7, 2026
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