Concerns of Collapse at High-Rise Under Construction in Manhattan; Evacuation Orders Issued

Residents and occupants in the vicinity of a high-rise building under construction in Manhattan, New York, were evacuated on July 7 (local time) after concerns were raised about a potential partial collapse due to buckling steel columns.
According to local media outlets including The New York Times (NYT) and CNN, a report was received around 8:00 a.m. that day stating that bricks had fallen onto the street from a 37-story building in Midtown East, Manhattan.
Authorities who arrived at the scene confirmed that two steel columns on the 21st and 22nd floors had buckled, and that the floors between the 21st and 26th levels had sagged.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani stated during a press conference in the afternoon that "the building remains in an unstable condition" and described the situation as "very serious."
Mayor Mamdani explained that the structure has been observed to be continuously moving since the morning.
New York City Fire Commissioner John Esposito noted that while the possibility of a total building collapse is low due to the nature of the steel structure, there is a risk of localized collapse, adding, "The fact that the building continues to move is our biggest concern."
Authorities confirmed that the safety of all workers inside the building has been verified, and no casualties have been reported thus far.
As a precautionary measure, evacuation orders were issued for nine surrounding buildings.
Approximately 400 students from a nearby school and staff from a broadcasting station were also evacuated.
Traffic and pedestrian access in the surrounding area have been completely restricted.
To mitigate further risks, authorities are monitoring the building's deformation in real-time using drones while simultaneously working to reinforce the damaged structures.
Located in a busy area between Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations Headquarters, the building was constructed in the 1970s.
It previously served as the global headquarters for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and was undergoing a large-scale remodeling project to be converted into approximately 1,600 luxury apartment units, with completion targeted for 2027.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.