Manhattan skyscraper verges on collapse as support columns buckle, surrounding buildings evacuated

A Midtown Manhattan building undergoing a massive apartment conversion remained unstable and at risk of collapsing Tuesday afternoon after officials discovered structural issues inside the property, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani warning New Yorkers to avoid the area.

Emergency crews responded shortly before 8 am to 235 East 42nd Street after reports of falling bricks near the former Pfizer headquarters, which is being transformed into a residential complex with more than 1,600 apartments.

The Fire Department said two interior support columns were buckling and several upper floors were sagging. A safety manager also reported that a steel beam on the 21st floor had been compromised, according to Department of Buildings records.

Mamdani said the situation was still changing as officials worked to stabilize the structure. “Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised columns,” Mamdani said, according to The New York Times. “This is a minute by minute assessment.”

Officials created a “frozen zone” covering 40th through 45th Streets between First and Third Avenues and urged residents and workers to stay away. "I want to encourage New Yorkers to avoid the area,” Mamdani said.

Construction workers were evacuated from the building, along with several nearby properties and a private school with roughly 400 students. Fire officials said no injuries were reported and all workers were accounted for.

The developer, Metro Loft, said it was working with the Buildings Department to “understand the full scope of the situation.”