With Support Columns Buckling, NYC High-Rise Is Evacuated

Commuters near Grand Central Terminal got an unwelcome jolt Tuesday morning when a Midtown Manhattan high-rise was abruptly cleared over fears that it could partially collapse. Fire officials say they were called just before 8am about bricks falling from the 37-story office tower on East 42nd Street that used to serve as the global headquarters for Pfizer, reports the New York Times. It is currently being converted into a 1,500 unit luxury apartment building, notes NBC News.

Inspectors found two interior support columns starting to give way on the 21st floor and noticed several upper floors visibly drooping. Construction workers inside were evacuated, and two neighboring buildings on East 43rd Street were emptied as a precaution. No injuries were reported, and authorities did not immediately say what caused the structural problems.