Manhattan high-rise unstable after columns buckle, prompting evacuations

Two structural columns buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors of a 37-story Manhattan high-rise under conversion to luxury apartments, forcing evacuations of the building and nearby structures including a school with about 400 children. The building, the former Pfizer headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street, remained unstable into Tuesday evening, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani Source: AP.

What happened

• Columns buckled and floors sagged between floors 21 and 26; bricks fell onto the street around 8 a.m. Source: CNN.
• No injuries were reported and all workers were accounted for, the FDNY said Source: BBC.
• The fire department reported additional movement in a compromised column after arriving Source: DW.

The response

• FDNY Chief John Esposito said the steel-framed building could see a “localized collapse” but not a total one Source: The Guardian.
• Emergency repairs with struts and beams began Tuesday evening; engineers used drones to monitor the structure Source: AP.
• Developer MetroLoft stated the affected area is “a small section of one of the two buildings” and that the entire building is not at risk of collapse Source: CNA.

What’s next

• Street closures in the area between 42nd and 44th Streets remain in place; officials say stabilization will take days Source: SCMP.
• Nearby residents were told it was safe to return late Tuesday, but the mayor said re-entry depends on full confidence in safety Source: DW.