Panic, confusion during NYC parking garage partial collapse

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, Manhattan (PIX11) -- Panic and confusion in Lower Manhattan at around 4:15 Tuesday afternoon after the sudden collapse of a parking garage in the heart of the tightly spaced financial district.

“We heard a big boom. And we thought it hit our building. So we went to check windows, and we immediately saw smoke. Cars were sinking – it looked out of a movie. It was horrible,” said one witness.

Emergency officials said one garage worker died in the collapse. Five other workers and at least one civilian suffered various injuries.

Citizen app video showing vehicles parked on the top, a fourth level of the garage, falling through a gaping hole.

Investigators do not believe criminality was a factor in the collapse.

“We have no reason to believe that this is anything other than a structural collapse. Obviously, the investigation will continue,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

For first responders, this was a logistical nightmare on a narrow street.

Fear of a larger collapse led firefighters to send in drones and a new robotic dog into the rubble - looking for any more survivors.

“The building was continuing to collapse. We made the decision to remove all of our people from the building. They were able to give us video inside,” said John Esposito, FDNY chief of operations.

Jim Slattery parked his car on the ground level of the very same garage - less than 15 minutes before it collapsed.

Talk about a close call.

“I heard it’s trashed inside all over the place. I haven’t thought about it. Because I heard someone was a fatality, unfortunately. So when you hear that, yeah – I’m very lucky,” said Slattery.