July 8 (UPI) — New York City officials believe they have stabilized a high-rise apartment building Wednesday in Midtown Manhattan after it began to buckle a day earlier.
Construction workers have added temporary support to the structure to prevent it from collapsing. However, the building, and three more in the area, remain under evacuation orders.
Construction crews continue to work on the high-rise structure Wednesday. It is a former office building that served as the headquarters for Pfizer and is being converted into luxury apartments.
The 37-floor building was evacuated Tuesday when construction workers noticed signs that it may collapse, such as multiple floors caving in and bricks falling from its facade.
At least two support columns in the building were observed to be buckling Tuesday, causing upper floors to sag. No injuries were reported.
“I can say right now the building is stable,” said Ahmed Tigani, New York City building commissioner. “We feel confident in the emergency plan we have now.”
The area of East 42nd and 43rd streets between Second and Third avenues remain closed to traffic.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said city officials continue to “prioritize the safety of all that immediate area.” He added that the situation will be investigated.
Mamdani said work Wednesday focused on installing shoring and support beams on the 17th through 24th floors.
“They’re going to be working through the day to get all the way up to the roof and all the way down to floor nine,” Mamdani said.