Manhattan skyscraper evacuated after structural columns buckled, being ‘stabilised’ amid fear of collapse

Published 8 July 2026 · us

An under-construction Manhattan high-rise at risk of collapse was stabilised late Tuesday, and some evacuations of nearby buildings were lifted. “We’ve been monitoring the building

An under-construction Manhattan high-rise at risk of collapse was stabilised late Tuesday, and some evacuations of nearby buildings were lifted. “We’ve been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement," Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, said during a news conference Tuesday. "We were able to get to the 21st floor to inspect the work that's being done and feel confident that the emergency work is stabilising the situation," Tigani was quoted by a report as saying. Evacuation During the Tuesday morning rush hour, emergency crews evacuated a busy Manhattan street block after structural columns buckled inside a skyscraper undergoing construction work, officials said. The developer insisted there was no risk of the entire building collapsing. But city officials warned the situation remained serious as they worked to determine if the structure was safe enough to enter to perform remedial work. "Two structural columns have buckled, in addition to multiple cracks and sagging floors. The building remains unstable. Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised columns," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. View full Image View full Image A high-rise building under construction, which, according to the New York City Fire Department, remains at risk of collapse after two of its support columns buckled, is seen in a still image from video in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., July 7, 2026. FDNY/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY (via REUTERS) Nearby hotels, businesses, apartments and a school were evacuated and streets were closed as a precaution as police and firefighters swarmed the area, AFP correspondents saw. By nighttime, residents were allowed back into several of the seven buildings that were evacuated as a precaution.

Multiple buildings in the area are still under evacuation orders as stabilisation work continues throughout the coming days, CNN reported. The mayor had said New Yorkers will be allowed to "return back into these buildings when we are fully confident that they are safe for them to do so." What exactly happened? The scene unfolded after columns were spotted buckling on Tuesday morning at the 1970s-era building, which is being converted into luxury apartments, according to the Associated Press. Construction workers at the site and people in nearby buildings — including a school, diplomatic offices and several hotels — in the busy corridor of midtown were rushed out after firefighters were called there around 8 am. Mayor Zohran Mamdani described it as “an extremely serious situation.” "City officials going floor-by-floor later found no additional movement of the damaged columns, giving on-site contractors the greenlight to move forward with emergency repairs," his office said. On Tuesday evening, workers could be seen shoring up the damage inside the gleaming glass-and-steel high rise. That work is expected to continue, impacting a part of Manhattan near the famed Grand Central train station that is a hub for metro area commuters and residents as well as tourists. Fears of collapse prompted evacuation orders The building, which is the former headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, is located just down the street from New York City icons like the Chrysler Building and the United Nations headquarters. The former head office of the drug giant Pfizer, near Grand Central station and the United Nations headquarters, is being converted from offices into apartments in a major overhaul at the 37-story tower. Leila Bozorg, one of Mamdani’s deputy mayors, said it was “encouraging” the building did not appear to be shifting as officials went up into and past the damaged floors on their way to the 37th floor — the top floor — of the building.