Several blocks in Midtown Manhattan were evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers discovered that structural support beams in an office building were buckling.
New York City Fire Department and Department of Buildings crews responded to 235 East 42nd Street, near the United Nations headquarters, around 8:11 a.m. after the incident was reported. Officials said the buckling beams caused the 21st through 26th floors of the building to begin caving under stress.
The 37-story commercial building is in the process of being converted into a residential complex, a project described by officials as one of the largest office-to-apartment conversions in the city's history.
No injuries were reported, and all construction workers were safely evacuated. Several nearby buildings, including a Hampton Inn, were also evacuated as a precaution.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated at an unrelated press conference that a school with 400 students was among the evacuated locations. "Our top priority right now is the safety of those who live in this area and those who work in this area," Mamdani said. "And DOB inspectors and engineers are on site working quickly to secure the site as well as that surrounding area."
Several surrounding streets were closed while building inspectors and FDNY personnel assessed the building's condition.