LIVE: Columns buckle at high-rise construction site in Midtown; nearby buildings evacuated

NEW YORK CITY – Emergency crews rushed to Midtown East early Tuesday morning after reports of falling debris revealed a structural compromise at a high-rise construction site.

What we know:

The FDNY received a call just before 8 a.m. reporting that bricks were falling from a 38-story building located at 235 East 42nd Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders determined that two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors of the building. Multiple cracks and sagging floors were also found between the 21st and 26th floors.

The location is currently an active, permitted construction site, according to the Department of Buildings. Work is underway to convert the existing commercial office building into a residential building.

No injuries have been reported, and all workers are accounted for. However, eight nearby tall buildings and a school have been evacuated as crews investigate and secure the scene.

Most of 42nd Street and 43rd Street between 1st and 3rd avenues have also been shut down to pedestrians and vehicles.

What they’re saying:

A New York City Union Iron Workers representative who responded to the scene said the situation is “super dangerous.”

“I don’t see anyone coming back to this job for a month at least,” he said. “And whoever comes back in, it’s going to be a company that’s going to come in to make it safe first. Then it’s going to be assessed again. But when you have this type of turnaround… I’ve been in construction 21 years, and I’ve never seen a beam bent in half. So this is super dangerous.”

During a press conference, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that, “All of this is a reflection of the fact that our top priority right now is the safety of those who live in this area [and] the safety of those who work in this area.”

What we don’t know:

It is still unclear what caused the columns to buckle, or the extent of the damage caused by the structural compromise.