A 37-story Manhattan high-rise that sparked fears of a possible collapse and forced widespread evacuations in one of New York City’s busiest neighborhoods was stabilized late Tuesday, allowing officials to lift some evacuation orders.
Evacuations Lifted
Officials said residents were allowed to return to several of the seven buildings evacuated earlier in the day after inspectors found no additional movement in the damaged structure.
The scare began Tuesday morning after workers discovered buckling structural columns inside the former Pfizer headquarters, a 1970s-era office tower being converted into more than 1,600 luxury apartments.
Firefighters responded around 8 a.m., prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school, diplomatic offices and hotels in the bustling Midtown corridor near Grand Central Terminal.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the situation ‘extremely serious’ as engineers conducted floor-by-floor inspections of the building.
By Tuesday evening, contractors had begun shoring up the damaged area after city officials determined the damaged columns were no longer shifting, though repair work is expected to continue and could disrupt the surrounding area.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
