Construction Crane Working On Luxury High-Rise Collapses In Hell’s Kitchen, Injuring Eleven
The shocking disaster happened after a fire in the crane’s entry compartment caused the complete disintegration of the structure. Nine civilians allegedly received injuries, with two firefighters also hurt. One required hospitalization for chest pains, said FDNY’s Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer.
| 27 Jul 2023 | 11:38
The aftermath of a crane collapse at 550 10th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen, when a fire in the entry compartment led to sixteen tons of concrete plummeting nearly fifty stories to the street. 11 people were injured, including two firefighters, although no fatalities were reported. (
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A construction crane doing work on 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen collapsed on July 26. (
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A construction crane doing work on 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen collapsed on July 26. (
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A construction crane doing work on 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen collapsed on July 26, in a stunning near-death experience that was captured on video. According to FDNY’s Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer, the crane was suspended forty-five stories high and ended up dropping a sixteen-ton load of concrete to the ground.
The structural failure was triggered by a blaze that erupted in the entryway compartment shortly before 7:30 a.m. Nine civilians were reportedly injured, along with two firefighters responding to the scene. According to Pfeifer, one required hospitalization after experiencing chest pains.
As evident in the bystander video, the falling crane seemingly damaged the facade of 555 10th Ave. Nearby buildings were evacuated, and hoselines used to quench the blaze were positioned from the top floors, according to the FDNY.
“As you see from the debris on the street, this could have been much worse. We were extremely fortunate that [this didn’t happen] during the busy time of the day,” a visibly tense Mayor Eric Adams said at press briefing near the disaster site.
Jimmy Oddo, the Department of Buildings Commissioner, was on hand to note that “this is quick-moving—I don’t have a lot of answers or all the answers,” before grimly adding that “this is not a mayor that relies on luck.”
Oddo noted that the construction at 550 10th Ave., a fifty-four story mixed-use building, was overseen by Monadnock Construction Inc. The company’s website lists the project as a “luxury hi-rise” building.
Oddo also claimed that a ConEd vault was struck during the excavation of the building, and promised an independent assessment akin to the one conducted after the Ann Street garage collapse--ostensibly to root out any potential malfeasance. Mentioning that the project had distinct roles for an engineer, general contractor, and user, he promised that “we will be looking at all these folks.”
The New York Daily News reported that Lomma Crane & Rigging, which owned the crane itself, had another one of its cranes collapse on E. 91st St. in 2008. That incident ended up killing two people.
In response to a request for comment, Monadnock said that “safety is a priority” and that “we are fully cooperating with all regulatory agencies and are available for any assistance that is needed. We are unable to provide any additional details regarding the incident at this time.”
“We want to acknowledge and thank the FDNY and the other first responders who were able to safely remove workers and any pedestrians from the location and secure the site,” the company further stated.