At least eleven people have been injured in a fiery Manhattan crane collapse near the Hudson Yards neighborhood.
Crane “Swung Like a Sledgehammer”
The Manhattan crane collapse took place at 10th Avenue and West 41st Street around 7:30 a.m. on July 26, 2023. The crane, which was positioned on top of a 45-story building under construction, was carrying approximately 16 tons of concrete when it burst into flames.
Though the crane operator was present when the fire broke out, he was unable to extinguish it before he was forced to flee. He apparently managed to escape without injury.
As the fire raged, it weakened the cable supporting the concrete until it finally gave way. The crane boom then “swung like a sledgehammer” and sliced an adjacent building before it and the concrete load collapsed onto the street below.
Firefighters arrived minutes later and attempted to shoot water onto the blaze from a nearby balcony. The fire was reportedly under control by 11:45 a.m.
Manhattan Crane Collapse Shuts Down 10th Avenue
Police officers and other emergency personnel shut down 10th Avenue near the site of the Manhattan crane collapse, citing safety concerns. Multiple neighboring buildings were also evacuated.
Two firefighters and at least nine other people, including construction workers and bystanders, reportedly suffered minor injuries as a result of the accident.
Crane Company Has Troubled History
According to officials briefed on the situation, a preliminary investigation suggested that a hydraulic fluid leak likely caused the fire that precipitated the Manhattan crane collapse. The probe is ongoing, with authorities planning to investigate the structural integrity of the building that was under construction.
Officials said that the crane at issue is owned by the New York Crane & Equipment Corp., one of the most widely used crane providers in New York City. The Queens-based company has a troubled history involving other crane accidents in recent years, which has previously led to criminal charges.
One of the company’s tower cranes collapsed on the Upper East Side in May 2008, killing two workers. Both the New York Crane & Equipment Corp. and its owner, James Lomma, were acquitted of manslaughter and other charges for that incident, though a mechanic pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.
Have You Been Hurt in a New York Crane Accident?
Crane accidents are some of the most dangerous events on construction sites, putting crane operators, other laborers, and anyone passing by at risk of serious injury or death. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are an average of 42 crane-related fatalities across the United States each year.
If you have been hurt in a crane accident in New York City, contact The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny, where our New York construction accident lawyers have been getting justice for wrongfully injured clients for more than three decades.
