A dramatic scene took place this Wednesday, July 26 in Midtown Manhattan, when a construction crane caught fire before partially collapsing, injuring eleven people, according to New York City authorities.
This Wednesday morning, a construction crane caught fire and collapsed in Midtown Manhattan. Only 11 people were injured. Fortunately, the injuries were only minor and a more serious disaster was avoided thanks to the rapid intervention of the crane operator and the rescuers.
🇺🇸 United States: two people injured after the collapse of a burning crane in the middle of the street in Manhattan, New York (CNN).
pic.twitter.com/WTrBmYChXX— French Info (@InfosFrancaises) July 26, 2023
Manhattan incident leaves 11 injured
The tragedy occurred around 7:30 a.m. at 550 10th Avenue, 45 floors above the ground. A sudden failure caused a fire in the engine compartment of the crane, just minutes before it collapsed, officials said.
The crane operator, who was in the cab lifting 16 tonnes of concrete at the time of the incident, saw the fire and attempted to put it out with a hand extinguisher before fleeing unharmed. The top of the crane fell, striking a nearby building at 555 10th Avenue.
Fortunately, the injuries sustained were minor, affecting nine civilians and two firefighters. One of the firefighters experienced chest pains and was taken to hospital. This incident could have had much more serious consequences, but thanks to the rapid reaction of the crane operator and the intervention of the rescue services, a real tragedy was avoided. The authorities will now have to investigate the causes of this worrying failure to prevent future similar accidents.
2023-07-26 16:41:59
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