A burning crane collapsed and smashed into a skyscraper in New York City, injuring half a dozen people
KENA BETANCUR / Getty Images
- A high-rise crane burst into flames in New York City on Wednesday and collapsed into a nearby building.
- 6 people were injured in the collapse, New York firefighters said.
- Video shows pedestrians running away from the scene as debris rains down on the street below.
A burning crane collapsed and smashed into a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning, hurting at least 6 people.
The crane was located at a construction site on a 40-story building at 10th Avenue and West 41st Street, officials told ABC7.
The crane had been holding 16 tons of concrete before it caught fire, causing the concrete and crane debris to crash into a nearby skyscraper and fall to the street below, the FDNY's Deputy Comissioner said in a press conference at the scene this morning.
Video shared on Twitter by @jimmy_farring shows the debris raining down on the street as black smoke billows off the crane and pedestrians run away.
Nearby buildings were evacuated and 10th Avenue is closed off in case an additional collapse occurs, the FDNY said in the press conference.
The crane operator was at the scene when the fire broke out and tried to put out the blaze before managing to escape safely, the FDNY added.
Two firefighters and at least four other people got minor injuries in the incident, the FDNY said in the press conference.