- The video of the building collapse in Lower Manhattan depicts the tragic moments when a demolition site was hit by an unexpected disaster, resulting in the death of one construction worker and injuries to three others.
- The incident took place around 1 p.m. close to the intersection of Lafayette and Canal streets in SoHo.
- The name of the deceased worker has not been disclosed.
- The incident took place despite the site being fully authorized for demolition work.
The video of the building collapse in Lower Manhattan shows the unfortunate moments when a demolition site was struck by an unexpected tragedy, resulting in the death of one construction worker and injuries to three others.
The incident took place around 1 p.m. close to the intersection of Lafayette and Canal streets in SoHo.
As reported by the FDNY, the back wall of a three-story building that was undergoing demolition collapsed, trapping four workers.
According to FDNY Chief of Department John J. Hodgens, the collapse of a wall and its scaffolding led to one worker being trapped by debris, two others falling on top, and another being injured.
Manual tools were used by firefighters to clear the rubble.
Responding in less than four minutes, the fire units assessed the situation, promptly freed the trapped worker, and transferred him to the hospital. Sadly, upon arrival at Bellevue Hospital, the victim was declared dead.
The name of the deceased worker has not been disclosed.
The Department of Buildings stated that the work site had received five safety violations in February, with one related to overloading the work site.
Despite the subsequent rectification of the violations, the city is now probing whether a similar error may have contributed to Tuesday’s accident.
Even with the safety violations, Acting Buildings Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik affirmed that the site was fully authorized for the demolition work.
The Department of Buildings and New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed their gratitude to the firefighters for their swift response to the incident.
“The FDNY responded quickly to address this unfortunate accident, ”Adams expressed. “It’s a collaboration of the Department of Buildings that will further investigate to determine the exact circumstances of this event.”
Additional details about the incident were provided by FDNY Chief of Department John J. Hodgens, who stated that the collapse happened when the work area was overloaded with debris, causing a collapse of the floor beam.
Neither the contractor nor the developer listed on the building was immediately available for comment. Nevertheless, the Department of Buildings will continue its investigation to precisely determine what happened at the site.
The incident took place despite the site being fully authorized for demolition work.
The city is currently investigating whether the safety violations issued in February contributed to the accident.
