Structural failure at former Pfizer HQ forces evacuations

A major structural failure at the former Pfizer headquarters in Midtown Manhattan prompted a large-scale emergency response and evacuations on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, after construction workers discovered buckling support columns and sagging floors. The incident at the 37-story building at 235 East 42nd Street, which is undergoing a massive conversion into residential apartments, led officials to clear the construction site and at least nine surrounding buildings, though no injuries were reported.

The Fire Department of New York said it received calls just before 8 a.m. about falling bricks and a structural issue at the active construction site. Upon arrival, firefighters and building inspectors found that steel support columns on the 21st and 22nd floors had buckled, causing floors from the 21st to the 26th to sag. All construction workers were safely evacuated. Officials described the building as unstable and the situation as extremely serious, emphasizing the risk of a localized collapse within the steel-framed structure, though they did not predict a total collapse of the tower.

In response, authorities established a large safety perimeter, closing East 42nd Street between...