NEW YORK — A crane went up in flames Wednesday morning high above Manhattan, then partially collapsed onto the street below.
The fire broke out shortly before 7:30 a.m. 45 stories up in the air at a building that was under construction on 10th Avenue between West 41st and 42nd streets in Hell’s Kitchen.
Watch: Video shows moment crane came crashing down
Social media video captured the dramatic scene when the crane’s boom came down, smashing into a building across the street.
Eleven people were hurt, including two firefighters. All of the injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Watch: Mayor Adams, FDNY and DOB update
Mayor Eric Adams provided an update on the scene, along with the FDNY and Department of Buildings, saying the situation could have been a lot worse, especially considering the high-traffic area.
“We are extremely fortunate that we were not during the busy time of day,” Adams said. “As you know, Port Authority is here, many of the buses move through here.”
Watch: Extended coverage of Chopper 2 overhead
First Deputy Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer said the crane was lifting 16 tons of concrete when the fire started.
“There’s a beam that goes out, and that’s carrying the weight of concrete. And that weight of 16 tons is attached by a cable. As the fire heats the cable, the cable weakens to a point where it loses its strength, and that’s when the collapse occurred,” he explained.
Watch: Expert on fighting rooftop construction fire
Pfeifer credited the crane operator for spotting the fire and trying to put it out.
“That crane operator 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 had to exit the crane,” he said. “The crane operator was able to get out and is safe.”
As they closed off the streets, firefighters had the difficult task of fighting the fire high above. They stretched hose lines and, at times, battled the blaze from a building across the street.
The site of the fire, 550 10th Avenue, is currently under construction. It’s a mixed-use residential building around 47 stories high.
“We will look at the structural integrity of the building that was hit, the structural integrity of the building worked on,” said Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo.
The DOB says an independent assessment will be conducted to figure out what happened.
Drivers are urged to avoid the area, where 10th Avenue is shut down between 34th and 42nd streets.
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