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[UPDATE] Crane Collapse At 7 Train Extension Site Kills 1 Worker, 4 Others Also Hurt
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 3, 2012
Modified Apr 4, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 3, 2012
Modified Apr 4, 2012
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[UPDATE BELOW] One worker is dead after a crane collapse at the 7 train extension construction site at 34th Street between 11th and 10th Avenues, an FDNY spokesperson confirms. Other workers are also injured, one with serious injuries and the other with minor injuries. The FDNY says two huge pieces of the giant crane—one 80 feet long and another approximately 40 feet long—became dislodged and fell in the accident. The crane itself was 170 feet.
No word yet from the MTA on what caused the collapse, which took place at approximately 7:20 p.m.. The critically injured worker has been transported to Bellevue Hospital, and it's still unclear where the other two workers are being cared for. On Twitter, one witness says the area is "swarming" with FDNY. The spokesperson tells us the three workers accounted for appear to be the extent of the injuries&dmash;at this time there are no reports of anyone trapped in rubble.
We'll update as more information becomes available.
Update 8:58 p.m.: One worker tells the Post, "It sounded like a bomb went off.“When I turned, I didn't see the crane, the one that is always here. So we knew what it was right away. We saw a plume of smoke." The tabloid says the critically injured worker was unconscious when he was removed from the wreckage.
And the Daily News has a photo of one worker being lifted out of the site on a stretcher. A teenage witness who happened to be walking by the site tells the News, "It started to vibrate - you just see the metals snap one by one. It shook the whole area. It started to fall down. It was crazy. The metals just snapped. "People started to run away. Some people were facing back [and\] a few of them got clipped."
The 7 train extension site, seen in February. (Jake Dobkin/Gothamist)
Update 11:56 p.m.: According to NBC New York, the construction workers were "out in what officials described as a high-angle rescue operation. One of them, 30 years old, suffered massive trauma and later died. Three other workers were injured, and one grieving relative who had rushed to the scene suffered trauma."
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
The FDNY said the rescue was very difficult because workers were in a 60-foot pit, requiring them to use ropes. EMS Deputy Chief Jack Sullivan said, "It was extremely dangerous because we had construction material that wasn’t stable and the crane was leaning against the building. It was an expedited removal, but we had some difficulty because of the trauma."
The Department of Buildings' executive director of cranes and derricks Delia Shumway said, "We understand a 170-foot boom collapsed. We don’t know the cause. It’s under investigation," while the MTA issued a statement, "On behalf of the entire M.T.A., we pray for the recovery of the workers injured as a result of this tragic accident tonight. We will work together with all proper authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the circumstances behind this unfortunate incident."
Tagged
7 train extension
crane
crane collapse
fatality
MTA
subway
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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