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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7299007.stm

Crane collapses on NYC apartments

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A construction crane has toppled into apartment blocks in New York, killing at least four people and injuring 10, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said.

The collapsing crane - which had stood 19 storeys high - almost completely demolished a low-rise apartment building on Manhattan's East Side.

It also caused serious damage to several other apartment blocks.

The area has been evacuated, and a rescue operation is under way amid reports that people are trapped.

John PlaGreco, who owns Fu Bar in the crushed low-rise building, said he feared one of his employees was dead in the rubble.

"Our bar is done," he said. "The crane crashed the whole building. If I wasn't watching a Yankees game, I would've come to work early and gotten killed."

Residents of the area reported hearing a terrible roar as the crane collapsed.

"First I heard a rumble, and it increased, and then it increased," said Bill Reilly, who lives nearby. "It continued building in strength... It shook the six-storey brick building that I live in."

Maureen Shey, who lives opposite the under-construction building from which the crane fell, said: "I heard a big crash, and I saw dust immediately. Bricks were flying through the air.

"I saw the whole thing. I thought the crane was coming in my window."

The crane missed her building.

This CNN video gives a pretty clear view of all the damage:

Gothamist has consolidated a lot of information about this incident.

This Flickr page has some amazing photos.
 
This was amazing news yesterday. Thanks for adding it to this board. I still haven't been satisfied by the photos I've seen so far. Nothing quite captures the scale.
 
Does this crane fall represent the start of a new trend?

aka, NYC's real estate market crashing? I think so. Bear Stearns started it all....

Just like CIBC's sign crashing down in Toronto represented Toronto's decline....

Having worked in construction before, I can understand how such freak accidents could happen: take rough and tumble under-educated blue collar workers (often alcoholics or drug addicts), a high pressure work environment, and sh*t will happen.
 

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