Crane Safely Removed From East Village Apartment Building, Residents Allowed To Return
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A crane that partially collapsed onto an East Village apartment building was safely removed early this morning.
Now, the Department of Buildings is working to figure out what caused the crane to snap and fall. Meanwhile, hundreds of evacuated residents are finally allowed to return home.
"We just heard a loud boom, and then the whole building shook," resident Olga Pagan said.
"It looked like the whole building was going to fall down," said resident Melissa Rodriguez.
It was a frightening scene for those who live at the Jacob Riis Houses as they watched the 150-foot construction crane swing directly toward their building Tuesday afternoon.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but it knocked down air conditioning units and shattered Cynthia Martin's window.
"My son was sitting right next to it, and thank god the curtain was right there, but all the glass came in," she told CBS2.
Authorities said the crane was lifting steel to the roof of a 14-story apartment building on FDR Drive by East Sixth Street when around 2:45 p.m. the boom suddenly bent.
Web Extra: Fire Officials On Crane Incident In East Village
"The construction load went off level somehow, and then it slid, lost its securement and slid down the side of the building," said FDNY Assistant Deputy Chief Kevin Brennan.
Danny Hernandez happened to be looking out his 11th story window when the crane came his way.
"It was moving pretty fast and it was obviously scary," he said. "When it moved back, I was like 'phew,' but then there was a loud shake and it shook the building… I was mildly terrified."
The incident temporarily shut down the FDR Drive in the area, and two public housing buildings were evacuated.