Minor injuries reported after large crane collapses in New York City
Correspondent CB Cotton reports the latest on the collapse.
New York City authorities are warning the public to avoid an area of Manhattan Wednesday after a construction crane caught on fire and partially collapsed, sending 16 tons of concrete and debris tumbling down into the streets.
The incident has left at least six people injured, two of which were firefighters responding to the scene, officials say.
"Thank God that the injuries… were minor," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "As you can see from the debris on the street, this could have been much worse."
FDNY First Deputy Fire Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer said one firefighter is having chest pains and is being transported to a hospital.
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The arm of a crane collapsed in New York City on Wednesday morning. (WNYW)
He said around 7:25 a.m., the FDNY received a report of a fire in the engine compartment of the crane, about 45 stories up.
"As our fire units responded to the scene, we had a collapse," he added. "The top part of the crane, the boom, and a 16-ton [concrete] load crashed to the ground."
"At that point, we had injuries to civilians and firefighters, but they were minor," Pfeifer also said.
The crane could be seen on fire after its arm collapsed in Manhattan. (WNYW)
One video shared on Twitter appears to show the arm of a crane attached to a building breaking off and hitting a building across the street, sending debris falling.
The arm then plummets to the ground and a loud noise could be heard while people are seen running away from the scene.
The New York City Police Department said in a tweet that "Due to a crane collapse, please avoid the area of 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue from West 41 Street to West 42 Street."
As of around 9:30 a.m. local time, most of the blaze -- which grew to a five-alarm fire -- has been extinguished, according to Pfeifer. But he noted that 200 first responders are still at the scene.
The source of the fire is not immediately clear. The building under construction where the incident happened, which is intended to be a 54-story mixed-use building, had all appropriate permits secured for the project, officials said.
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The crane's arm is seen collapsing and striking a nearby building. (@Vithushaan/Twitter)
Radio chatter from first responders indicated that they are having trouble reaching the fire as there is not enough pressure to hose.
The Con Edison energy company is on scene and ready to cut off gas in the area if needed, as one of its main lines runs directly underneath 10th Avenue.
Smoke fills the sky after part of a crane collapsed in New York City on Wednesday, July 26. (Julia Musto, Fox News Digital)
The FDNY said the address of the collapse was 550 10th Avenue.
Pfeifer said the crane operator initially "saw that the fire started and tried to extinguish it."
"So we give a lot of credit to the crane operator, but the fire overwhelmed that operator and [they] had to exit the crane," he added.
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That individual is now safe.
Adams said the crane will be dismantled after the fire is extinguished.
Fox News' Andrew Keiper and Alejandro Iglesias contributed to this report.
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