Columns in Manhattan high-rise buckle, prompting evacuations 07-Jul 23:23

A high-rise building under construction in Manhattan was evacuated ​on Tuesday morning after two of ‌its columns buckled, officials said.

The Fire Department of New York said it received a ​call just before 8 a.m. ​ET about bricks falling from the ⁠38-story building located on 42nd Street.

Officials ​responding to the scene found two ​columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors and multiple floors of the building ​were sagging, the department said.

Nearby buildings ​have been evacuated and streets remain closed, with ‌no ⁠injuries reported at this time, officials said.

"Our top priority right now is the safety of those who live ​in this ​area, the ⁠safety of those who work in this area," New ​York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ​told ⁠reporters at an unrelated event.

The building near Grand Central Station was once Pfizer's ⁠corporate ​headquarters. It is currently ​being converted into an apartment building.