A three-story building for parking in Manhattan’s financial district in New York City suddenly collapsed, killing one employee and injuring five others, US media outlets such as the Associated Press and CNN reported.
The concrete floor collapsed layer upon layer, making the scene like a multi-layered pancake, police said.
Vehicles parked inside the building were also crushed into one mass, with luxury sedans and SUVs sandwiched between concrete plates like frozen food. People near the building said they heard a terrible roar followed by screams.
“I thought there was an earthquake,” said Liam Gaeta, a student at nearby Pace University. Another college student, Jadis Speller, said she thought the bomb had exploded.
Other students also reported seeing vehicles inside the building falling down. One car crashed down the tail end at the entrance to the parking building and got stuck, the office of New York Mayor Eric Adams released a photo.
Police said they checked everyone in the parking building, but they had to continue the search into the night of the 18th to see if anyone was still inside the wrecked vehicle, Fire Chief John Esposito said. One employee at the parking building was stranded on the roof and was rescued through the roof of a neighboring building, he said.
“The man was conscious and mobile, so he called us for help, but he couldn’t come down by himself,” he said. Four of the injured were hospitalized but are in stable condition, while the fifth refused treatment.
It was around 4pm when the garage building collapsed. The location is a few blocks from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, and only 800 meters from the New York Stock Exchange.
Right next door, Pace University has evacuated all students from its dormitory and classroom buildings and canceled all lectures and events after the afternoon to inspect the buildings for safety. The school had the evacuated students temporarily stay inside the student center until a place was determined.
Don Mulligan, a 17th-floor hotel guest near the collapsed parking building, said the high-rise hotel shook as he suddenly heard a roar like a jet flying overhead. The man from Cincinnati said the hotel was ordered to evacuate shortly thereafter.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown, but records from the New York City Department of Architecture indicate that the collapsed three-story building has been used as a parking lot since the 1920s and that no building permits have been issued to date.
There is no explanation yet from the parking management company to which this parking lot belongs.
New York City Mayor Adams told a press conference that the parking building was in a “completely unsafe condition” after the crash. The firefighters are also in too much danger, so after withdrawing from the building, they are conducting an investigation using drones and robot dogs.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.