NEW: NYC buildings evacuated after workers spot buckling support beams that “are bending like cigarettes.”
The Midtown high-rise was evacuated after the support beams buckled and floors started caving in, sending bricks falling from the sky during rush hour.
The building is undergoing construction to add 10 floors, converting office space into apartments.
Local 638 Steamfitter Cliff Johnsen said, “The I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous.”
Surrounding buildings were ordered to be evacuated, including a school with over 400 children, due to fears the building might collapse.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated, “I would say that beyond that, just for those in the immediate area to follow the instructions of those on the ground, we have seen evacuations not only of the building, but of surrounding buildings, as well as a nearby school. And I believe those actions are appropriate at this time.”
