A Midtown high-rise was evacuated Tuesday morning after massive beams inside the under-construction building started buckling — sending some floors caving in and bricks raining down under the crushing strain.
The 38-story commercial building at 235 East 42nd Street was cleared around 8:11 a.m. after construction workers spotted two faulty support beams bending and starting to give way on the 21st and 22nd floors, according to the NYPD and FDNY.
Fire officials said floors between the 21st and 26th floors were sagging from the pressure.
Support columns on the 21st floor of a 42nd street building under construction buckled leaving the upper floors vulnerable to collapse. William Farrington for The NY Post
The buckled beam that lead to the evacuation. New York Post
The street was closed after the building beam buckled on the 21st floor. William Farrington for The NY Post
It’s unclear what caused the columns to buckle.
All construction workers made it out of the building safely and no injuries were reported.
“What they have found thus far is that there are structural issues with the building,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters during a press conference Monday.
“I would say 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 also surrounding buildings, as well as a nearby school. And I believe those actions are appropriate at this time.”
Police and fire officials shut down pedestrian and vehicle traffic along East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues as they investigate the scene.
Several nearby buildings, including a hotel and school, were also evacuated as a precaution, officials said.
The site was reportedly an active construction zone with work underway to turn the commercial office building into a residential tower, according to the Department of Buildings.
The structural support scare was reported today by the site safety manager, according to the DOB.
Police, fire and Department of Buildings officials are currently at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing.