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With 7 Dead, Focus on Collapsed Crane's Nylon Sling
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 18, 2008
Modified Mar 18, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 18, 2008
Modified Mar 18, 2008
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Photograph of workers removing a body from the rubble yesterday by David Karp/AP
Investigators suspect that a nylon strap may have started a horrifying chain reaction of events that caused a crane to collapse onto other buildings. Yesterday, emergency workers found the bodies of three missing people, construction workers Santino Gallone and Clifford Canzona, and Florida resident Odin Torres who was in town visiting a friend, raising the total dead to seven. Dozens more were injured in the accident which span East 51st Street between First and Second Avenues to East 50th Street between First and Second.
The NY Times shows a photograph of a "yellow nylon sling ragged at the end like a child’s broken shoelace, indicating, according to experts, the immense force that may have torn it apart." One expert told the Times, "That’s what it looks like when you tear these things apart," while another said the sling could ave been "grossly overloaded.”
While it's too early to say the sling was the culprit, Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster (whose resignation Council member Tony Avella demanded) issued the following statement, to reassure New Yorkers:
"Although we have no reason to believe that Saturday's tragic accident is indicative of a larger problem with similar equipment being used around the city, we will be launching a safety sweep of the approximately 250 tower cranes in use. As our investigation into the accident continues, we may take other measures designed to ensure the safety of the public."
That's probably little comfort for the families of the victims and those who have had to evacuate their homes - as well as the victims and their families of other construction-related accident.
The Post has an editorial saying "Keep On Building," while the Times' editorial, though crediting Bloomberg for improving the Buildings Department, suggests there's "too much of a laissez-faire attitude" regarding construction. Last December, a nylon sling snapped at the site of the under-construction Goldman Sachs headquarters, dropping seven tons of steels onto a construction trailer and paralyzing an architect inside.
Tagged
construction fatality
crane collapse
fatality
midtown east
turtle bay
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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