A construction crane caught fire and collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen early Wednesday. The fire started in the engine compartment of a crane that sat at 45 stories at a building that was under construction on 10th Avenue, between West 41st and 42nd streets, at around 7:25 a.m. While firefighters attempted to respond to the fire, the crane’s arm snapped off and crashed to the ground, striking a building across the street. Six people were injured in the incident, including two firefighters.
The crane operator attempted to bring 16 tons of concrete up when the fire broke out. Firefighters began spraying the crane with water from below and above, nearly extinguishing the fire before 9 a.m. What sparked the fire was not immediately clear, and the investigation is ongoing.
The building that the crane was atop is meant to be a 54-story, mixed-use building. It was not immediately clear rather the building sustained damage or if anyone was inside it during the incident. The building that the crane hit did suffer visible damage, though the extent of damage was not immediately known.
Read more about this story at ABC7 New York.