Manhattan high-rise stabilized after buckling columns sparked collapse fears

A Midtown Manhattan skyscraper that looked ready to fall apart has been stabilized and street closures around it have now been lifted.

Firefighters received a call around 8 a.m. about falling bricks from a 37-storey building which once served as Pfizer headquarters. The building was being converted into apartments.

Reports suggest that the crew found cracks spread across multiple levels and two structural columns buckled on the 21st floor. The buildings around the area were immediately evacuated, including the Israeli consulate and a school running summer camp for around 400 kids.

New York City (NYC) Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it "an extremely serious situation," adding that the building kept moving even after crews arrived on scene.

Fire Chief John Esposito said the building's steel-frame design meant a total collapse was unlikely. If anything failed, it would be localized, not the whole tower. Engineers went floor by floor and found no further movement, giving contractors the green light to start emergency repairs.

Crews installed emergency jacks to hold up the weak points. They also began adding new steel supports overnight.

"We are feeling confident that many of the emergency shoring measures that have been put in place... is stabilizing the situation," said NYC Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani.

By Tuesday night, most street and pedestrian restrictions were lifted and some evacuated residents were told they could go home. Four nearby buildings still remained under evacuation orders as of Wednesday, with a fifth under partial evacuation.

The building's developer told the Wall Street Journal the upper floors were being widened as part of the renovation, adding extra weight above. The two beams that buckled may not have been reinforced properly for that load.