‘We are fortunate that no one died’: Despite rain, Hell's Kitchen crane dismantling proceeds after weekend weather delay

The process of taking apart the crane that collapsed after catching fire this summer in Hell’s Kitchen also known as Clinton situated on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City has started, despite the heavy rain that continues to fall. The work was delayed over the weekend due to severe weather conditions.

In the next few days, contractors will carefully lower the damaged sections of the crane to the ground, using a derrick that they have set up on top of the building that was under construction.

Midtown is currently under the watchful eye of Department of Building (DOB) inspectors, overseeing the intricate task of dismantling the fire-damaged tower crane situated at 550 10th Avenue, near W41st Street, from a towering 45-story height. The incident in July injured 12 people, including three firefighters.

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“The safety of our fellow New Yorkers will always be a top priority at DOB and we are fortunate that no one died as a result of this summer’s crane collapse,” said Ryan Degan, Deputy Press Secretary for the DOB.

The collapse damaged nearby buildings and created a huge hole on 10th Avenue. The five-alarm incident necessitated the evacuation of residents from luxury apartment buildings 555TEN and The Victory, both struck by the falling crane. Additionally, temporary evacuations were carried out at MiMa, 500 W42nd Street, YOTEL, and Covenant House.

Firefighters used hoses from the rooftop pool area of 555TEN across the street from the crane to help put out the fire.

The FDNY employed drones for operational coordination and to evaluate possible structural damage.

The crane was in use at a 47-story residential building project under development by the Gotham Organization.

“DOB inspectors are currently on scene at 550 10th Avenue, observing the ongoing work to safely remove a damaged tower crane which earlier this summer caught fire and collapsed. The private contractors performing this work will be cautiously removing pieces of the damaged crane over the next several days with the help of a derrick that they have installed on top of the tower,” said Degan.

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“NYC has some of the most comprehensive crane safety regulations anywhere in the world, in place to protect New Yorkers from potentially hazardous conditions associated with construction.”

The DOB said an investigation into the cause of the crane collapse is being conducted in close coordination with law enforcement and is still ongoing.

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