Midtown Manhattan tower evacuated after structural breach

A high-rise building under construction in Midtown Manhattan was evacuated on Tuesday, July 7, after critical structural failures were discovered, prompting a massive emergency response and precautionary evacuations of surrounding buildings. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. at 235 East 42nd Street, the former global headquarters of Pfizer. Construction workers on the 21st and 22nd floors noticed steel support columns buckling, which caused multiple floors between the 21st and 26th stories to sag and led to reports of falling bricks. The workers self-evacuated, and the Fire Department of New York responded.

Fire officials confirmed a severe structural compromise. FDNY Chief John Esposito stated the building had continued to move since emergency crews arrived and described the situation as serious and dangerous. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the structure remained unstable, with assessments being conducted on a minute-by-minute basis.

Authorities ordered a full evacuation of the 37-story building and established a broad "frozen zone," closing streets to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The restricted area spanned from 40th to 45th Streets...